BRIARWOOD-A LOVE STORY
A Novel
by
Lee J Freshwater
PART ONE-A NEW LIFE
CHAPTER 1 MOVING TO A NEW TOWN (DECEMBER 6, 1963)
CHAPTER 2 MUNCIE
CHAPTER 3 BREAKFAST ON THE FIRST DAY
CHAPTER 4 FIRST LOOK AT MUNCIE
CHAPTER 5 A NEW HOME
CHAPTER 6 MOVING IN
CHAPTER 7 FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL
CHAPTER 8 END OF DAY ONE
CHAPTER 9 FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER
CHAPTER 10 A NEW NICKNAME
CHAPTER 11 BASKETBRAWL
CHAPTER 12 THE BUS
CHAPTER 13 SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS
CHAPTER 14 EIGHTH GRADE WOES (SEPTEMBER 1964)
CHAPTER 15 A NEW FRIEND (APRIL 1965)
CHAPTER 16 PALM SUNDAY (1965)
CHAPTER 17 THE BIG BLOW (MAY 24,1965)
CHAPTER 18 REACTION
CHAPTER 19 RUMORS
CHAPTER 20 THE SENTENCE
CHAPTER 21 FAREWELL, MUNCIE
CHAPTER 22 THE LONG RIDE
PART
TWO-A NEW BEGINNING
CHAPTER 23 A PHONE CALL FROM PARKERSBURG
CHAPTER 24 WEST VIRGINIA & CHARLESTON
CHAPTER 25 THE HEADMASTER
CHAPTER 26 THE ROOMMATE
CHAPTER 27 BREAKFAST AT BRIARWOOD
CHAPTER 28 THE FIRST DAY PART ONE
CHAPTER 29 THE FIRST DAY PART TWO
CHAPTER 30 GONE, GONE, GONE
CHAPTER 31 SETTLING IN
CHAPTER 32 INDEPENDENT STUDY 168
CHAPTER 33 SUMMER SCHOOL (JUNE 1965) 173
CHAPTER 34 THE WALKERS (JULY 1965) 179
CHAPTER 35 FITTING IN 185
CHAPTER 36 ROCK LAKE POOL
CHAPTER 37 DOG DAYS OF SUMMER (AUGUST 1965)
CHAPTER 38 VISIT FROM THE HAHNS (SEPTEMBER 65)
CHAPTER 39 FOR AND AGAINST 206
II
PART
THREE-NINTH GRADE
CHAPTER 40 NINTH GRADE (FALL 1965)
CHAPTER 41 CHARLESTON ROCKETS
CHAPTER 42 A VISIT WITH MARGARET
CHAPTER 43 YOU CAN’T GO HOME
CHAPTER 44 SEEING MRS. REITZ
CHAPTER 45 SEEING WEST VIRGINIA
CHAPTER 46 ALLEY CATS
CHAPTER 47 WILT AND JERRY
CHAPTER 48 IT WON’T BE LONG NOW
CHAPTER 49 SOME SHOPPING HELP
CHAPTER 50 CHRISTMAS AT HOME (DECEMBER 1965)
CHAPTER 51 I’M SO SORRY
CHAPTER 52 TIME TO PAY THE PIPER
CHAPTER 53 HEART TO HEART PART I
CHAPTER 54 TWO ON TWO, THE HARD WAY
CHAPTER 55 WELCOME 1966
CHAPTER 56 NCAA HISTORY (MARCH 1966)
CHAPTER 57 SURGERY (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 58 STRING THEORY
CHAPTER 59 RACIST (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 60 APOLOGY UNACCEPTED (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 61 THE WEEKEND (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 62 THE PHONE CALL (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 63 REFLECTIONS (JUNE 1965)
CHAPTER 64 HAVE TO DECIDE (APRIL 1966)
CHAPTER 65 PONDERING
CHAPTER 66 HEART TO HEART (PT2)
CHAPTER 67 A TALK WITH DAVID
CHAPTER 68 DECISION (MAY 1966)
CHAPTER 69 I AM STAYING (MAY 1966)
CHAPTER 70 SCHOLARSHIP
CHAPTER 71 END OF NINTH GRADE (MAY 1966)
CHAPTER 72 HOME AGAIN (MAY 1966)
CHAPTER 73 SEEING DENISE AGAIN (LATE MAY 66)
CHAPTER 74 IT WAS THE TRUTH
CHAPTER 75 I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG
CHAPTER 76 SUMMER BREAK CONTINUES
CHAPTER 77 YOU CAN’T PLAY WITH COLOREDS
CHAPTER 78 SUMMER SCHOOL (1966)
CHAPTER 79 THE DAY FINALLY ARRIVES
III
Forward
This is a work of fiction. This story never happened. Many of the
early locations were taken from my own childhood memories,
but the story itself is a figment of my imagination. It is true that
I was raised in Western Pennsylvania and did in fact move to Muncie,
Indiana while in the seventh grade. That’s
where the fiction begins. I graduated from both Muncie Central High School and Ball State University and received a wonderful
education.
Although Junior High was not my favorite
time, I loved growing up in Muncie and I will be a 'BEARCAT'
forever.
I would like to apologize to the people of
Muncie if the educational system is depicted as being substandard. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Sometimes you have to stretch the truth in writing fiction. That’s why they call it fiction.
Almost all of the names have been changed and are fictitious. Only a few real names have been used. You get to guess which ones are real.
I used West Virginia as a location out of respect for my parents and wife who were all born and raised in this great state.
I never lived in Charleston, West Virginia. Briarwood Academy never existed. I fell in love with Charleston while driving through the city a few years ago.
In
researching and writing about those days of the 1960’s,
I realized what a turbulent time it was for all of us. I am
glad we all survived. I was also reminded of how much fun we
had.
Lee J Freshwater
Ocala, FL
January
1, 2020
Dedicated to Looper. You are my Dawn.
PLEASE NOTE: Briarwood takes place during a trying time. The 1960's. Be PREPARED for strong language and the use of words we NEVER use in today's society.
Beginnings:
Hello,
my name is Fred Ingham. I live in Charleston, West Virginia and have
an interesting story to tell you.
I had the pleasure
of working at Charleston’s Briarwood Academy for forty-five years, retiring in 2008.
Forty-five years of
kids coming and going. White kids, Black kids, Asian kids, and more.
In the beginning, they all stayed together in their own little
groups.
But that all changed on a warm June evening in
1965. It was all because of two young boys.
The first
time I saw Tommy Andrews I wasn’t impressed. This
scrawny little white boy had just stepped off the bus in Charleston
to attend Briarwood. He looked scared and lost. I actually felt sorry
for him.
As I watched him come down those stairs of that bus, I had no idea of the family turmoil and secrets that he was leaving behind. And as I would learn later, neither did he.
My boss man was Ray Ethridge. This kind and gentle Headmaster
guided thousands of kids through that school before he retired. He
was the first of many great educators that came here. Mr. Ethridge
was also the best.
He let me run the maintenance
department without interference. I was treated as a colleague and as
a friend. There was not one drop of racist blood in this great man.
But that night in June of 1965, I wondered if he had perhaps lost his mind. When he asked me to take this boys luggage to Room 710, I thought he had either flipped his lid, or had gone color blind. He was about to do something that had never been done before.
But I am getting ahead of myself.
This is the story of two boys. One white, one black, and how they grew up together and formed a bond that has lasted a lifetime. Never before, nor since those days of the 1960’s have I met two braver kids. It was a pure joy to watch them grow into two of the finest men I have ever known. It is also a love story about a young boy and the girl he had to leave behind.
But I am still ahead of myself. Their story actually begins
eighteen months earlier in another state on a cold and snowy
December evening.
Frederick
Ingham Charleston WV January 2015
VI
PART
ONE - A NEW LIFE
CHAPTER
ONE – MOVING TO A NEW TOWN DECEMBER 6, 1963
Tommy Andrews sat in the back seat and watched through the car window as the landscape rolled by.
His family had been on the road for about four hours making their way to their new home in Indiana. Uprooted from the seventh grade, Tommy sat in silence wondering what awaited him in this new town called Muncie.
He listened to the sounds the car tires made as they rolled over small cracks in the roadway. 'Snap, snap, snap', came the sound from underneath the vehicle. He watched as fence row after fence row went by. He was barely able to make them out in the darkness but every once in a while, a streetlamp or vehicle head lights would illuminate the area bright enough for Tommy to see. Since winter had arrived, the land was barren. A light coating of snow dotted the landscape. It was dark and it was dreary. But he didn’t care as he was just passing the time lost in his thoughts. Occasionally he would notice some red blinking lights off in the distance. ‘Those must be radio towers’, he thought to himself.
They were now in the flat lands of western Ohio and the radio towers could be seen from a long distance. It was not like the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania that Tommy loved.
Tommy could hear the faint sounds of the Beach Boys coming from the car radio. They were singing about being true to your school. ‘Not me’ Tommy thought, ‘I wasn’t true to my school. Now I don’t have one.'
His older brother George sat across from him. George was also lost in his thoughts. ‘Probably thinking about how great he is,’ Tommy thought. Tommy has never gotten along with his brother.
In his mind the two-and-a-half-year difference in their ages might as well be fifty. They had nothing in common. Except for the family resemblance they were as different as night and day. George lived to pick on his younger brother and loved to boss the ‘little dork’ around.
Margaret and John Andrews were engaged in conversation in the front seat. John was telling his wife how he had finally finished all the painting at the new house. They talked on and on about how they were going to decorate each room. Tommy tuned out the conversation.
Margaret never liked living in the country and she was excited about their new home in a new subdivision.
Tommy felt the exact opposite. He loved to spend his summer afternoons in the woods behind their home playing in the creek and watching the abundant wildlife. Although he had many friends at school, when he was at home, he preferred to be alone with his thoughts.
Lots of emotions filled Tommy’s mind. Two weeks earlier the nation had lost their President in a violent manner. Coupled with his father’s transfer to the new Westinghouse plant in Muncie, Indiana, Tommy just wanted to curl up in a ball and sleep until spring or until the family moved back home to Pennsylvania. He already missed his school and all his classmates.
Tommy did not take the news of the move well. He wanted to stay at his school with all the friends he had known since first grade. His crush on a classmate was dashed when his parents announced the family was moving to Indiana. He knew he would never see little Susie again.
“Tommy, you will make lots of new friends at your new school.” His mother told him.
“No I won’t. I'll hate the new school and I'll hate the kids too.” Tommy cried as he ran up the stairs to his room.
Now Tommy sat in the back of John’s 1959 Cadillac on his way to a new home and a new future in Muncie, Indiana.
As he looked out at the now barren cornfields, Tommy let out a sigh.
“Tommy, stop it this instant. I’m sick and tired of your damn whining too.” John yelled from the front seat. “Grow the hell up.”
“You heard your father, Tommy. Behave yourself,” Margaret said softly.
Unseen by either, George looked over at Tommy and silently said, "Dork".
Also, unseen was Tommy's one finger salute as a response. George tried to grab the finger, but Tommy had better reflexes and pulled his hand back out of the way. He then smiled sarcastically at his brother.
The boys rode the last fifty miles in total silence.
As they entered the south side of Muncie, John pulled the white Cadillac into the Holiday Inn near the corner of South Madison and East 29th Street. They would be staying there until the moving company arrived with their belongings.
Tommy got out of the car and the first thing he noticed was a tall radio tower behind the hotel. It had a huge base and the tower slowly got smaller and smaller as it rose higher into the sky. A red light at the top blinked on and off. It was the tallest thing Tommy had ever seen.
“Dad, look at that,” he exclaimed pointing up at the tall tower.
Since John had spent the last several months in Muncie getting ready for the move, he already knew a lot about the area.
“That’s W L B C, the Radio and TV station.”
CHAPTER
TWO – MUNCIE
Located in East Central Indiana, Muncie was originally settled by the Ball Brothers. Edmund, Frank, George, Lucius and William Ball moved to Muncie in 1887 to take advantage of the abundant natural gas reserves that are essential to making glass. Natural Gas was plentiful, and their business thrived. Other industries moved in as well. Chevrolet, Warner Gear, Indiana Wire & Steel, and Westinghouse all built large factories. It was a real boom town.
With a population of almost 70,000 Muncie’s ‘claim to fame’ was their high school basketball team. Just this past March, Muncie Central won their fifth State Championship, giving them more state titles than any other school in the state. Every game night during the season found the 7600 seat North Walnut Street Field House jammed to the rafters with screaming fans.
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It got so warm inside the Field House the huge windows at the top of the stands would have to be opened. Screaming fans could be heard for blocks. Because season tickets were impossible to obtain, WLBC TV replayed each game the following afternoon.
Season tickets even became part of divorce settlements. People waited years for season tickets and those who had them passed the tickets down to their heirs when they died. Basketball was bigger than religion in Muncie, and the Field House was the chosen house of worship. It was a shrine. The only thing missing was a star high up in the sky, pointing the way towards the field house.
Nothing interfered
with ‘Bearcat Basketball’. There was even a story circulating
around town about a doctor who attended a game and when a
patron at the top of the stands suffered a heart attack, the
good doctor waited until half time to attend to him. The man
ultimately died, but he might have died anyway. No one was
ever able to verify the truth to this story or identify the offending physician.
Entering the 1963-64
season, the defending State Champions were rated number two in the nation, behind Power Memorial Academy in New York City. Power
Memorial just happened to have a player that year named Lew
Alcinder who would later lead UCLA to three consecutive N.C.A.A.
collegiate titles and become Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The
most embarrassing moment in Bearcat Basketball history came in the
1954 State Title game when Bobby Plump of tiny Milan High
School hit the winning shot at the end of the game depriving
Muncie Central of yet another state championship. It was the ‘shot
heard round the world.’
Well, at least in Indiana. And just like Pearl Harbor, that last
second shot would ‘Live in Infamy.’ That shot would be
immortalized years later in the movie “Hoosiers”.
Another unforgettable moment came six years later when the undefeated Bearcats, nicknamed 'The Untouchables’ went into the state championship game with East Chicago Washington.
Those embarrassing moments would soon be overshadowed by a scandal that would rock the city of Muncie and the Central sports program to its core.
George would be in his sophomore year at Muncie Central while Tommy would be in the seventh grade at Storer Junior High School.
Tommy grabbed his overnight bag and started walking towards the motel room following his mother and father.
As they entered the room, Tommy noticed two double beds. Tommy immediately looked at his mother.
“Does this mean I have to sleep in the same bed with him?” he said pointing at George.
“It’s only for two nights,” Margaret said. “By Sunday night your rooms will be set up in our new house and you'll be sleeping in the same bed you slept in last night.”
'If I survive the night', Tommy thought silently.
Tommy and George Andrews were complete opposites of each other. George was about four inches taller at 5’10” and skinny as a rail, but he still outweighed Tommy by about twenty pounds. At twelve years of age, Tommy had not hit his growth spurt yet and could not wait to catch up to his older brother. The first thing he planned to do when that happens would be to introduce George’s face to his fist.
The only advantage Tommy had over George was he has not hit the acne stage yet. His complexion was completely clear while his brother had a severe case of acne.
George was stretched out on the bed watching the Twilight Zone on TV.
Tommy was not interested in a story about soldiers who are transported back in time to the ‘Little Big Horn’ and ‘Custer's Last Stand’, so he picked up the book he had been reading.
An avid reader, Tommy read almost anything he could get his hands on. Never a fan of comic books and other juvenile prose, he preferred to read the local newspaper or a novel. He enjoyed losing himself in the fantasy lands he read about. One day he could be a space or time traveler, or perhaps he would be a famous detective or a movie star. It did not matter to Tommy as long as he was somewhere else. Tonight, he was trying to finish ‘The Mirror Crack’d.’ He had saved his allowance for three weeks so he could buy the latest novel by Agatha Christie. Tommy reveled in every word on the page. The motel seemed to be a million miles away as he lost himself in the adventures of Miss Marple.
“OK mom,” he replied.
Tommy put down his book and grabbed his pajamas out of his bag. He walked over to the small bathroom and closed the door behind him as he entered. As he brushed his teeth, he tried to stretch high enough to look out of the small window. It had started to snow.
He finished dressing and left the bathroom. He deposited his clothes on a stand next to the bed and crawled in without saying a word. He noticed that John and Margaret were now watching Jack Parr. John never missed his Friday night program.
George had already gotten into bed and gave Tommy a little kick as Tommy got under the covers. Tommy reacted with a stiff kick his of own. It did not take long for a full-fledged kicking fight to start.
“God damn it Tommy, grow the hell up,” John hollered from across the room.
“But dad, he started it!” Tommy exclaimed.
“I don’t give a damn,” John yelled. “Go to sleep.”
George turned away from his dad and looked at Tommy. Then he stuck out his tongue.
Tommy rolled over and faced the wall. A single tear rolled down his cheek.
Sleep did not come for a long time.
Tommy did not sleep well that Friday night and had trouble waking up when Margaret gently shook him awake.
“Your mother said get up son. Now get your ass out of that bed,” John barked.
“Yes sir,” Tommy responded quickly. He knew not to disobey his father.
Tommy sulked as he went into the bathroom and prepared to start his day.
George was already up, anxious to get the day underway. Since the moving van would not arrive until late that afternoon John had decided to take the family on a tour of their new town and show them their new home.
After Tommy was finished getting ready, they all went down to the motel restaurant for breakfast. As they walked through the lobby, Tommy spotted the newspaper stand and asked his father if he could get a paper.
“Sure, if you have a dime,” John said.
Tommy gave the clerk his dime and was handed the morning edition of the Muncie Star. He started to read as he walked into the restaurant. He wasn’t paying attention and did not notice that John had stopped to wait for Margaret to sit down. Tommy bumped into him.
John angrily turned around. “Watch where the hell you are going,” he exclaimed. “Pay attention.”
“Sorry Dad,” Tommy said as he hung his head.
“Sorry Dad, Sorry Dad,” John mocked his son. “That’s all I ever hear from you.”
Of course, George had to put his two cents in as well. “Way to
go dork face,” he said as they all sat down.
Tommy looked at his brother. “I would rather be a dork face than a
zit face.”
“Thomas Curtis Andrews you stop that this instant,” Margaret ordered.
Tommy knew he had gone too far when his mother called him by his
full name.
“Yes mother,” Tommy said softly as he
picked up his paper.
“And George,” his mother wagged
a finger at him. “Stop calling your brother names.”
The boys sat in silence as they ate their breakfast.
Tommy looked at his paper. He read that the oldest resident in the
county had just passed away at the age of 103. He was amazed
that Rachel Rarick was actually born July 30, 1860, some three
months before Abraham Lincoln was elected President. Tommy thought
about the many things this person had witnessed during her
long life. He also read about the new Police Chief and
his new appointments.
The paper reminded him of the local paper he had left behind. Maybe he would not miss the 'Sharon Herald' as much as he thought. He wanted to learn everything he could about the new town they now called home. The paper was still full of stories about the slain President and his alleged assassin.
Even on the sports page, the late president was mentioned in an article about the Army/Navy football game that was to be played on this day after being delayed a week due to the assassination. Navy would be led by their star quarterback, Roger Staubach. He was fascinated to read about a new technology that was going to be used for the game. It was called ‘instant replay’. Viewers would be able to watch the same play over and over. He wondered if that would be a success.
He also learned
that the Sonny Liston fight with Cassius Clay had been moved to Miami Beach, Florida. Although not the athletic type, Tommy was a
huge sports fan. His favorite team was the Green Bay Packers.
He could not wait for Paul Hornung to return from his suspension. Hornung was Tommy’s favorite player, and he was devastated
when the NFL suspended the star for the 1963 season. Hornung
and Alex Karras were both suspended for allegedly placing bets on some NFL games.
Ever since their local team Hickory went to the 1961 State Finals in Harrisburg, Tommy had loved basketball. Although the ‘Hornets’ lost the championship game to Nantikoke 56-46, it was a trip Tommy would never forget.
As he tuned out the world around him, Tommy looked at the high school basketball scores. Reading about Muncie Central for the first time, Tommy learned that the Bearcats had defeated Logansport the night before 85-62. He had no idea where Logansport was. He also had no idea who Glinder Torain, Andie Higgins and Billy Ray were. However, in the month ahead, they would all be in the news.
CHAPTER FOUR – FIRST LOOK AT MUNCIE
After breakfast the family got into the car and John started
showing them the sights.
Tommy sat in the back seat with his
newspaper under one arm and his Agatha Christie book on his
lap. They drove up Madison Street to the downtown area so George
could see his new High School.
Built in 1912, Muncie Central was a four-story building that encompassed an entire city block in downtown Muncie. It was located on South High Street across from the main Post Office and a huge Methodist Church. Large steps lead up to the entrance.
The red brick structure was lined all around with large windows. Tommy thought the parking lots were rather small. He wondered where people parked their cars on game night.
“At one time boys, this was the largest high school gym in the nation,” John said. “It was built in 1928 and seats over 7600 people.”
Dad, that's amazing, George said. I can't wait to see a game here.”
“Might be a bit tough son,” John laughed. “Tickets are almost impossible to get.”
Soon they were headed north. As they crossed over the White River, Tommy noticed a huge statue of an Indian sitting on top of a horse. The Indian seemed to be looking up at the sky with outstretched arms.
“Dad, what is that up ahead?” he exclaimed.
“That son is the “Appeal to the Great Spirit”, John replied. “Sometimes it’s called Chief Muncie.”
They walked across the street to the small park that was home to the Indian and his horse.
“Boys, as you learn more about your new home, you will hear a lot about the Ball family. Almost everything in this city is named after them,” he said. “This monument was sculpted in 1920, by the artist Cyrus Dallin," John continued. “It was given to the city by Mrs. Bertha C. Ball in honor of her husband,” he said and then paused. “She saw the original at the Center Park of the City of Boston and had the artist make another one to bring here.”
“Dad, you sure know a lot about this town,” George laughed.
“Westinghouse provided all of us ‘transfers’ tons of information about Muncie,” he responded. “It gave me something to read at the motel,” he laughed.
The family got back in the car and John headed down Minnetrista Boulevard. They wound their way around the banks of the White River and soon Tommy saw some huge mansions on the right-hand side of the road.
“Wow,” he exclaimed. “Look at those houses.”
“Those are the homes of the five Ball Brothers who moved here in the late 1800’s. You boys have seen all those jars your mother uses when she cans fruits and vegetables, they were all made right here in Muncie.
John continued the drive down Minnetrista until he exited on to Wheeling Avenue. Turning left, they headed back towards the downtown area.
As John turned right on Riverside Avenue Tommy noticed a sign that said, ‘Ball State Teachers College’.
“It’s not much of a college,” Margaret commented.
As they drove on, Tommy noticed several new buildings. “I bet someday this is going to be a real nice college.”
“It’s not even a university, just a dumb old Teacher’s College,” George said with a laugh.
“You’ll see,” Tommy said with a scowl.
Soon they were on the west side of town so that Tommy could see his new school.
The school had several wings with a Gymnasium located in the center. It was constructed with beige brick rather than the red brick used on the downtown school. A football field was located in the rear of the school. Metal bleachers lined the side of the field closest to the school. A smaller set of bleachers was placed on the opposite side.
Since the parking area was close to one of the wings, John decided to park the car and let Tommy take a look. Since it was Saturday the area was deserted.
“Do you want to take a look Tommy?” John said.
“Not really Dad, it’s just a school.”
“Yeah, a school for dorks like you,” George laughed.
Margaret glared at her oldest. “How many times have I told you not to call your brother by that name,” she scolded.
Tommy thought he heard his dad chuckle just a little bit.
“Come on Tommy, let’s go take a look see,” Margaret said.
“OK, mom,” Tommy reluctantly said as he opened the car door.
Tommy walked up the sidewalk with his mother. He felt a cold chill and tightened his coat around himself.
“This is a lot nicer than your school back home. I think you are going to like it here.”
Peering in the window on the entrance door, it looked like a typical school to Tommy. In fact, it reminded him of the elementary school he had attended back home.
The school was newer than his old Junior High. Lockers lined both sides of the hallway. The walls were made of the same type of beige brick that was used on the exterior of the building. They went halfway up the wall, and at that point regular concrete block was used. The blocks were painted in the same shiny beige paint that Tommy remembered from his old elementary school back in Pennsylvania. The beige walls glistened as the sun poured through the windows. Beige lockers lined both sides of the hallway as far as Tommy could see. At the end of the hallway above the doors that lead to the gymnasium, the “Spartan” school mascot was painted in green.
Margaret stared at Tommy with intent eyes.
“Thomas Curtis, you will give this school a chance. Do not make the assumption that you will hate it. You will walk in here Monday with your head up high. You will study hard and be nice to your teachers and classmates. Do you hear me, young man?” Margaret said sternly.
Tommy knew he could not argue with his mother.
“OK, mom, I’ll try,” he said as he hung his head and started to walk back to the car.
George had no desire to see a school he would never attend so he sat in the car with his father.
When Tommy and Margaret got back in the car, John asked, “Well Tommy, what do you think?”
“It’s OK dad,” Tommy said quietly as he picked up his newspaper. He wanted the conversation to be over and he did not want to get yelled at for saying the wrong thing.
“Now that we’ve seen the area and schools, let's go see our new house,” John said excitedly.
“Don’t forget the dork college, dad. That was really exciting to see,” George laughed.
John let out a chuckle and Tommy decided to remain silent.
Margaret just shook her head in disgust.
CHAPTER FIVE – A NEW HOME
They drove to the northwest part of town through several housing developments. Tommy noticed the houses were closer together than the homes back in Pennsylvania. Small trees dotted the landscape. It was obvious to Tommy that these were all new homes and new trees.
Perhaps someday, he thought, the trees will look nice. He knew that would take years and years.
But he didn't plan to be around that long. He loved living in the country and knew he was going to hate city life.
The brick home sat on a typical residential lot. It was not large and since it was a new home, it had little landscaping.
Tommy knew he was going to miss the two-story house in the country that they left behind.
“We’re here,” Margaret said excitedly. “Welcome to your new home, boys.”
George and Tommy got out of the car and looked at their new house.
“It’s nice, dad.” George said.
Like the weather, Tommy thought the area was dark and dreary. He was depressed.
“Let’s go inside,” said John. “The movers will not be here until late this afternoon so it’s pretty much empty.”
John unlocked the front door, and they all entered the front
foyer. The kitchen and dining room sat off on the left side of
the hall. A door in the kitchen led down to the full basement. Just
past the foyer was another hallway that led to the living
room on the left and four bedrooms on the right. A bathroom
was located just off the foyer.
Tommy noticed some paint
cans in the hall, left over from John’s week of painting.
“What room do I get?” asked George.
“Last room down the hall on the left. Tommy gets the room just before yours,” John said.
Both boys ran down the hall to check out their new rooms.
Tommy immediately noticed that his room was smaller than George’s and had one window rather than two. He thought it was best not to say anything. As he looked out of the lone window, he could see a vacant lot that stretched down to a now empty community swimming pool. As he stared at the freshly painted yellow walls, tears started to form. He hated yellow and his father knew it. He fought back the emotions and turned around to go look at the rest of the house.
He walked down the hall into the large living room. A fireplace highlighted one wall and on the opposite wall large windows faced out to the back yard. The room did not feel like home at all to Tommy. ‘Maybe it will look better when our furniture arrives’, he hoped silently.
He found his father and brother in the basement discussing where the workshop would be. John was an avid woodworker and needed room for his table saw, lathe, and other large tools.
Tommy looked around a bit, then returned to his new room. He sat down on the floor and looked at the yellow walls again. He thought maybe some posters would cover up most of it. He decided to finish the book he was carrying. He was soon lost in his Agatha Christie novel.
Just as he was finishing his book, he heard a knock on the front door. Then he heard the door open.
“Yoo-hoo, anybody home?” a female voice inquired.
Tommy walked down the hall and there in the front foyer stood a lady carrying what looked like a cake.
She could not have been more than five feet tall, was a bit overweight, and had on huge glasses that seemed to cover her entire round face. Her brown hair was tied up in some sort of bun. She had this enormous smile that seemed to say, ‘I’m your friend.’ Tommy immediately thought that she was a happy person.
“Hello, you must be Tommy,” she said. “I'm Mildred Thurston and I live just down the street. Is your mother here?”
“Nice to meet you Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy said politely.
Tommy heard his mother coming up the basement steps.
“Mom, Mrs. Thurston is here,” he said loud enough for his mother to hear.
“Hello Mildred, it’s so nice to see you again,” Margaret said as she entered the foyer. “I see you have met my Tommy.”
"I wanted to bring you folks a cake to officially welcome you to the neighborhood, and I wanted to meet your two fine boys that I've heard so much about,” she said with a smile.
By this time John and George came up from the basement and George was properly introduced.
John took the cake from Mildred and went to put it on the kitchen counter.
Since there was no place to sit, they all stood in the front foyer.
“You know, Tommy, Mildred has a son who is just a little older than you. You will probably see him at school. I hope you will be friends,” Margaret said.
“Gary is looking forward to meeting you Tommy,” the new neighbor said.
“Me too, Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy said.
Tommy did not care but he was smart enough to play the part.
Margaret smiled at Tommy. Perhaps the two boys would become good friends and Tommy would forget about the friends he had to leave behind.
“And I have a daughter, Dawn, who is two years younger than Gary,” she continued. “So, she is not in Junior High yet, but she’ll be at your school next year.”
Tommy listened as the two women talked. He learned that Walter Thurston worked at the Chevrolet plant and he and his family had moved to Muncie three years earlier. Gary was the athletic type and spent most of his time with sports activities.
'Probably reads comic books, if he can read at all,' Tommy thought silently. He perked up when Mildred talked about her daughter, Dawn. She is a straight A student and has many friends. She loves to read, and according to her mother, is as ‘cute as a button.’
“Tommy, I see you are reading Agatha Christie,” Mildred said pointing to the book still under Tommy’s arm.
“Maybe you would be willing to lend it to Dawn when you have finished it. She loves to read mysteries and I don’t think she has read that one.”
“Well Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy started to say that he never lends out his books. But his mother interrupted.
“I am sure Tommy would love to lend Dawn his book,” she said. She immediately gave Tommy a look. He knew what she was silently saying. He had no choice.
“Actually Mrs. Thurston, I just finished it,” Tommy relented. “I’ll leave a bookmark in the front for her.” ‘She better use it,’ he thought. Tommy hated ‘dog eared’ pages.
So, against his better judgment, Tommy handed the book to Mrs. Thurston with a smile.
Margaret smiled at Tommy her approval for what he was doing.
Mildred smiled at Tommy as she started to leave. “Thank you, Tommy. I will tell Dawn to be careful with your book.”
She said her goodbyes and started to walk down the driveway.
“Tommy, that was nice of you to lend your book,” Margaret
said when they were back inside.
“I know you don’t like
to lend things, but sometimes in life you have to do things you would rather not do.”
“It’s OK, Mom,” Tommy said. “I hope she enjoys the book.” Deep down inside, Tommy knew that he would never see his book again.
“Tommy, Mrs. Thurston told me where the public library is located,” his mother said with a smile. “Maybe after a while we can sneak out of here and get you a couple of new books.”
Tommy perked up immediately. “That would be great Mom. Thanks,” Tommy said happily. They heard a truck engine outside and realized their belongings had arrived much earlier than anticipated.
Tommy looked out of the window and saw a huge moving van on the street. John immediately went outside to move their cars out of the way so the truck could back into the driveway.
Tommy silently thought, ‘There is no turning back now. We have officially moved here.’
CHAPTER SIX – MOVING IN
Margaret stood by the front door and directed the moving men on where each box and piece of furniture needed to go. It was just below freezing outside and soon the house was cold due to the front door being open.
Tommy found his room to be a bit warmer so he waited there for his boxes to be unloaded. With his heavier coat, he was almost comfortable.
It did not take long for the men to bring in his bed, dresser and a few boxes. Once his bookcase was set up, he started unpacking some of the boxes with books and records.
John came in and helped Tommy set up his bed frame. The room was starting to take shape when Margaret appeared in the door way, her car keys dangling from her fingers.
“I told your father we were sneaking out for a while,” she said with a smile. “Let’s go find that library.”
As they drove down Wheeling Avenue, Tommy paid more attention to the landscape. He marveled at the nice homes on both sides of the street. Soon they were passing the White River that they had already crossed several times on this day.
Within minutes they were parking behind the huge downtown library.
The library was housed in an older building with six large columns leading to the entrance.
THIS BVILDING THE GIFT OF
ANDREW CARNEGIE
BVILT ANNO DOMINI 1902
Tommy thought it was a funny way to spell several of the words.
Soon mother and son stood at the reception desk. Margaret asked about getting a library card for Tommy.
It did not take Tommy long to select three books. He chose James Michener’s ‘Caravans’, ‘Battle of Villa Fiorita’ by Rumor Godden, and Mary McCarty’s ‘The Group’.
By the time they arrived home, the movers were almost finished with the unloading.
John had left George in charge and went to the motel to get all their belongings. He decided the house was in good enough order that they should stay in their new home that night.
Tommy was thrilled when he heard the news. He would not have to sleep with his brother again. He was actually looking forward to spending the night in his new room. Alone.
Tommy spent the next couple of hours finishing his room. He put all of his books on the shelves and hung up his clothes in his new closet. It was a lot larger than the small closet he had in his old room. He was organizing his desk when he got the feeling that someone was watching him. He turned and saw his older brother standing in the hall looking into Tommy’s room.
“Hey dork, Mom went and got a pizza. It’s time to eat,” George barked.
Tommy got up from his desk and walked down the hall. Margaret had the kitchen organized enough so they could enjoy the first meal in their new home.
Tommy ate his dinner in silence. He liked the pizza. Since ‘Pizza King’ was a local chain started in 1958, he had never had their pizza. He especially enjoyed the thin crust and the finally chopped sausage.
He set up his record player and found room on the bottom shelves for his record albums.
Tommy liked all kinds of music from rock and roll, to Jazz, and Big Bands. He glanced at one of his Buddy Holly albums.
'In a couple of months, it will be five years since that terrible day' he thought. He remembered playing Richie Valens, ‘Donna’ over and over and over that week. Even at a young age, he preferred watching 'American Bandstand' rather than cartoons. He was well versed in the rock and roll of the day. He placed the album on the shelf.
Tommy found his radio and plugged it in. He scanned the AM dial looking for a music station. He tuned to the John Cigna show on W O W O 1190, a 50,000-watt powerhouse station in Fort Wayne, some seventy miles to the north. Soon the room was filled with the sounds of rock and roll.
About nine o’clock, Margaret looked in on him.
“Tommy, I think it’s time for you to get ready for bed,” she said. “It’s been a long day for all of us.”
“OK, mom, but can I read for just a bit?” Tommy asked.
Margaret looked at him sternly. “Twenty minutes, no more, and turn that radio down before your father hears it.”
Tommy knew not to press the issue, but he wanted to start his new book. He turned the volume down on the radio.
It did not take him long to jump into his pajamas, brush his teeth, and get into bed. After reading for just a few minutes, he realized that his eyes were tired. It had been a long day and his lack of sleep the previous night seemed to have caught up with him. He closed his new book, turned out his reading lamp, pulled the covers up to his shoulders, and was asleep within minutes.
His radio automatically turned off thirty minutes later. All was quiet.
CHAPTER
SEVEN – FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL
The family spent all of Sunday unpacking. The movers were gone, and the garage and basement were loaded with tools, boxes, and other items that needed unpacking. Tommy and George spent most of the day helping their father organize the garage and basement while Margaret organized the upstairs.
The boys found themselves too busy to argue with each other, so the day went by without incident. Tommy decided to just do everything the way George said and avoid the argument.
George was always bossy with Tommy and was always telling him what to do.
At the end of the day, the house looked better, and they were well on the way to being all moved in.
Tommy was dead tired and went to bed early. The new day came too early for Tommy, but he was able to get up, have his shower and get ready for school. It was decided earlier that John would take George downtown since it was on his way to work. Margaret would take Tommy and get him enrolled in his new school.
It was windy and cold as they walked up the sidewalk to the new school.
Margaret asked a student where the office was located, and she was given directions.
At the desk Margaret explained that she was there to enroll Tommy.
Soon a man walked out of an office and introduced himself.
“Hello, I am Dr. Christopher Howard, the principal here at Storer Junior High,” he said with a smile.
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Howard. I’m Margaret Andrews and this is my son Tommy,” she said as she held out her hand.
Dr. Howard gently shook her hand as he looked at Tommy.
“Welcome to your new school Tommy. I am sure you are going to like it here,” he said as he extended his hand to Tommy.
Dr. Howard was a tall man, easily over six feet. He had to bend down to shake Tommy’s hand. He had the blackest hair Tommy had ever seen.
Tommy shyly said, “Thank you, sir.”
“Let’s all go into my office and get acquainted,” Dr. Howard said as he led the two through a large wooden door.
The office had a huge desk in the middle of the room. Dr. Howard slid behind the desk and waited for Margaret to sit down. The walls were adorned with pictures of airplanes and several model airplanes were stored in a bookcase against one wall. A light at the top of the case illuminated the collection. Tommy would find out later that Dr. Howard was a decorated war veteran who flew B-52 bomber planes during World War II. He motioned to two chairs and said,
"Please make yourself comfortable.
Tommy and his mother sat down, and Margaret handed a large envelope to Dr. Howard.
“Here are Tommy's school and medical records,” she said with a smile.
“Yes, we need to take a look at these,” he said. “We want to make sure his immunization records are up-to-date, and his past grades will help us determine what classes he will take.”
Margaret smiled at Tommy. “He is a good student, Dr. Howard, and a fine young man,” she said.
Dr. Howard glanced over the records for a moment and said, “Yes, I am sure he is. It looks like he has done extremely well so far. I see that he was in the accelerated class all through Elementary School. Almost straight ‘A’s. Very, very good, young man.” He looked at Tommy with a smile, then he continued.
“Hopefully our curriculum will parallel with what he has been taking and he should be able to blend right into student life here. His medical records look to be up to date as well,” Dr. Howard smiled. “Now let's get him some classes.”
They sat there for a while as Dr. Howard made some notes and looked at class schedules.
Soon Tommy had his schedule. He would begin his day in Industrial arts, move on to science. He would finish up the morning in English. After lunch he would have math, history, and gym class.
Dr. Howard handed Tommy a slip of paper. “Here is your class schedule and the room numbers. Your locker assignment and the combination, are at the bottom.”
They talked for another fifteen minutes. Dr. Howard told them about the school and all about the classes. He talked about all the special activities they had at Storer, school plays, sports, and academic clubs that Tommy could join.
Dr. Howard explained the bus system and how it worked. Tommy could buy a bus pass every week at school. The bus driver would then punch the card each time it was used. When all the numbers were punched, it was time to buy a new card.
“Since first period is over, you will have to start Industrial Arts tomorrow.” Dr. Howard said as he rose from his chair. “I will have someone escort you to Mr. Southerland’s science class.”
Tommy also rose and said, “Thank you Dr. Howard.”
Margaret extended her hand to the principal. “Yes, you have been most kind,” she said with a smile.
Tommy and Margaret said their goodbyes. Fortunately for Tommy she did not try to kiss him as she left. He did not want to be embarrassed on his first day at school.
Dr. Howard asked one of the office workers to escort Tommy to his science class. When he arrived, he handed a note to his new teacher, Mr. Southerland.
The classroom was set up with double desks that could be used for science experiments. Three rows with five science stations in each row. Two students sat together at each station.
Tommy spotted one kid sitting by himself.
“Class, today we welcome a new student. This is Tommy Andrews. He comes to us from Pennsylvania.” Mr. Southerland said.
Tommy could hear a few ‘hellos'. He always hated standing up in front of a class and this was truly mortifying. Tommy thought he heard one girl in the front row whisper to her friend. "Another Westinghouse brat.”
Tommy felt himself turning red. It started at his feet and in a
split second was at the top of his head. He wanted to go
hide.
“Tommy why don’t you sit next to Howard in the
third row,” said Mr. Sutherland pointing toward the
empty seat on the left side of the room. “And by the way Mr.
Weatherspoon, you have the next two classes with Tommy so why
don’t you be his buddy today and show him around. We don’t
want to lose him on the first day, now do we?” That comment brought
a few chuckles from the back of the room. Tommy felt the
redness return as he sat down next to Howard.
As he sat down, Howard smiled at him. Howard looked the student part. He was short and chubby with big black glasses. His freckles were as red as the hair on the top of his head.
“Hello Tommy, welcome,” Howard said in a low voice.
“Now class, let’s get back to it,” Mr. Southerland said as he pointed towards the blackboard.
Tommy somehow got through the morning. Howard showed him his locker and made sure he knew where the rest of his classes were located.
At the beginning of each class, he had to endure the same punishment. Standing in front of the whole class being introduced as the ‘new student’.
By the time lunch period came, Tommy was starving. Howard and Tommy walked into the cafeteria, got their lunches and sat down at a long table by themselves.
Tommy looked around the room. He noticed different groups of people. A group of attractive girls sat at one table. A larger group of boys, some wearing school jackets sat at another. ‘Must be the jock table’, he thought.
Howard noticed his gazes and explained.
“Table one over there is for the Cheerleaders,” he said. “They only talk to jocks and other Cheerleaders. Obviously by their jackets, the jocks sit over there,” he pointed to the other table.
Tommy noticed another table where couples sat together. Some sat a little closer than others.
“And what table are we sitting at?”
“Well, let’s see,” Howard said. “Speaking for myself, since I do not know you that well yet,” he paused as if searching for the correct wording. “I am not an athlete, I get good grades, I have red hair and freckles. I could also stand to lose a few pounds.” He smiled as he paused again.
“That makes me an outcast, a dork, a nerd, someone who gets picked last for any sports activity, so call me whatever you want to call me.”
“Dork is my brother’s favorite word for me,” Tommy said as he smiled. “And he is an idiot.”
“Well, I guess this is the ‘dork’ table,” Howard laughed.
“Here’s to the dork table,” Tommy said as he raised his milk carton.
A couple of the ‘jocks’ heard the boys laughing and came over to their table. One of the boys had a crew cut and was the biggest Junior High kid Tommy had ever seen. ‘Must be a linebacker’, Tommy thought. The other was taller, skinnier, and had a face full of pimples.
“You boys need to keep it down over here,” the linebacker said staring right into Tommy’s eyes. Tommy never flinched.
“Says who?” Tommy said, standing up, but never taking his eyes off Mr. Linebacker. Tommy stood even with the big kid, but was outweighed by about twenty pounds.
Don’t sass me boy, or I will have to tear your face off.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Tommy saw the other boy laugh.
“You and what army?” Tommy would not back down.
Howard sat there white as a ghost, which is hard for a red headed freckle faced boy to do. He had never been anyone stand up to this kid. Tommy had him in his sites. He knew something bad was about to happen.
“I think your lunch needs some salt,” the larger boy said. He reached down to the table and grabbed the saltshaker. With one complete motion he had the top off and poured the contents over Tommy’s lunch.
Tommy was about to plant his fist in this kids face, but before he had the chance to do so a large hand grabbed the big kid by the collar.
“Do we have a problem here Mr. Torbin?” Mr. Southerland said as he appeared out of nowhere.
Tommy realized that his new science teacher just saved him from getting into trouble.
“No sir, no trouble, sir, not at all,” the huge boy said.
Mr. Southerland let him go. “Then I suggest you and your friend return to your lunch before I give you both a weeks detention.” He said with a stern voice. He looked at the other boy and said, “I am surprised at you.”
Mr. Southerland smiled at Tommy and Howard and walked away.
“Were you really going to hit him?” Howard asked when he regained his composure.
“Yes, I was,” Tommy replied factually as he sat down. “And what the hell was that all about and who were those jerks?” Tommy asked Howard.
“Stupid jocks,” Howard said. “They pick on me all the time. Mr. Neanderthal is David Torbin. He is the best football player in the school and also the dumbest. He and about half a dozen of his buddies do everything they can to make my life miserable,” Howard said.
Tommy had a feeling that he would see David Torbin again and again.
“Well, they are not going to make my life miserable,” Tommy said with authority. “What about the kid with the zits?” Tommy inquired as he pushed his salt laden lunch away.
“He’s the biggest jerk of them all, Gary Thurston.”
Tommy was speechless at this latest revelation.
’Christ, it’s going to be a long year,’ was all that came to Tommy’s mind.
CHAPTER
EIGHT – END OF DAY ONE
The first day of school was the main topic of discussion at the Andrews’ dinner table that evening.
George talked at length about his new High School and how much he was going to enjoy it.
He was going to be in the band and try out for Cross Country next spring. He had made lots of new friends on his first day.
Tommy thought he was going to throw up.
“Too many god damn niggers at that school,” John said. He looked over at his younger son.
“Tommy, how many niggers did you see at your new school today?” he asked as he forked in some mashed potatoes.
“Well, now that I think about it, none.” Tommy replied. “I did see one Negro student,” he said with a smile.
Margaret knew she needed to steer the conversation away from this subject.
So, Tommy, you didn’t tell us much about your day.”
Tommy did not want to talk about his crummy day but understood what his mother was trying to do. So, he told them about his day.
Tommy talked about his new teachers and his new classes. He told them about Howard and how helpful he was showing him around his new school. He noticed that his mother seemed to be the only one at the table listening to him.
He did not talk about the incident in the cafeteria, or about who the bullies were.
As dinner was ending, Margaret slapped herself on the forehead signaling that she had forgotten something.
“I almost forgot,” she exclaimed. “I talked to Mildred Thurston this morning, and we are all invited to her house this Friday night for dinner. I told her we would love to come.”
Tommy's eyes opened as wide as the moon on a broght, clear evening.
’Can this day get any worse?’ Tommy thought.
CHAPTER NINE – FRIDAY NIGHT DINNER AT THE THURSTON’S
The first time Tommy saw Dawn Thurston, he fell instantly in love.
Dawn was a typical preteen girl. She had long shiny brown hair that came down to her shoulders, then flipped upwards. Tommy thought she looked like a much younger Lesley Gore only with brown hair. Her skin seemed to glisten in the artificial light of the living room. Her green eyes sparkled when Tommy looked into them. She was just beginning to develop into womanhood. Halfway through the sixth grade, it was a time when young girls matured and started to like boys. She was dressed in a white blouse with a pleated gray skirt that hit just above her knees. Her gray knee socks matched her skirt. She was the prettiest thing Tommy had ever seen.
“Tommy, say hello to Dawn,” his mother urged.
“Hi,” was about all he could muster.
At that point, Dawn said something that Tommy didn’t understand and scampered out of the room. Tommy wondered what was wrong, a few seconds later she returned holding his Agatha Christie novel.
“Thank you for lending me your book, Tommy,” she said with a huge smile as she handed the book to Tommy. “I enjoyed it.”
“Your welcome Dawn.” Tommy said finally finding his voice.
They all sat down to dinner in the Thurston’s huge dining room.
John, Walter, Gary and George immediately started talking about High School basketball while the wives talked about the meal. ‘This town is nuts about basketball’, Tommy thought. He wanted to join in the conversation because he did love basketball, but he had a feeling he wasn’t invited. So he sat quietly.
Tommy liked the chicken they served and was quiet as the conversation moved along.
Everyone was getting to know each other. Tommy would occasionally glare at Gary.
Tommy thought the tension between him and Gary was not evident to the others in the room.
Tommy wanted to strike up a conversation with Dawn but was too shy. He tried not to stare at her.
Tommy listened to the adult conversation and was glad he was not included. He looked across the table and realized that Dawn was looking at him. So, he smiled at her. She blushed a bit but smiled back.
Mildred’s voice brought Tommy back to reality.
“Gary, why don’t you pass the salt to Tommy,” she said.
Tommy looked Gary right in the eyes with a sarcastic smile.
“No thank you Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy replied. “I think I’ve had enough salt for a while.”
Margaret looked over at Tommy. She had no idea what he meant but she knew it meant something.
After dinner Tommy found himself alone with Dawn in the Thurston’s family room. He could hear conversation coming from the other room. Tommy was uncomfortable as he sat on the floor petting Dawn’s Golden Retriever.
Dawn watched him pet ‘Bear’ for a moment then she broke the silence.
“You’re kind a shy aren’t you?” she asked Tommy with a smile.
Tommy blushed, then looked at her and smiled.
“I try not to be but it’s hard sometimes.”
“But you like dogs, so that’s a good start,” Dawn said.
Tommy looked lovingly at Bear. “My dad won’t let me have a dog, he says they shed and smell bad.” Tommy turned up his nose.
Dawn smiled. “I don’t care, I love my dog.”
“When I grow up, I'm going to have lots of dogs,” Tommy replied. He smiled as he petted the Golden Retriever.
“It’s hard leaving all your friends, your school, and moving to a new place,” Dawn said, trying to restart the conversation. “You have to start over, meeting new people. I was young when we moved here so I’ve forgotten a lot about it.” Dawn smiled. “I know, why don’t we talk about your book?”
Tommy immediately felt better and soon they were talking like old friends.
They talked about all the characters and the plot in the Agatha Christie book they had just read. Soon Tommy felt more at ease with Dawn and the time flew by. He did not realize how much time had gone by until his mother appeared at the doorway.
Tommy was still sitting on the floor petting Bear.
“Tommy, say good night to Dawn and her lovely dog. It’s time for us to go.”
With all the goodbyes said, the Andrews walked back home. Tommy was so focused on Dawn; he forgot his book.
When they arrived home, Tommy immediately went to his room.
Margaret found him on his bed reading one of his new library books.
“Tommy, what was that all about?” she asked.
“What was what all about?” he replied as he closed his book.
“You know damn well what I am talking about young man. You and Gary hardly said a word to each other all evening.” She sat down on the edge of the bed. “I caught you both glaring at each other,” she paused and looked at her son. She folded her arms over her chest.
“So, talk young man. What happened between you two? Did something happen at school?” She waited for his response.
“Nothing happened, Mom.” Tommy replied. “Honest, I just don’t like him, and he doesn’t like me. I don’t like any of his friends, either.”
Margaret knew she wasn’t getting the whole story but decided not to push the issue.
“All right, Tommy,” she said quietly. “If that’s the way you want it. I will never force you to be someone’s friend.”
Tommy felt the weight lift from his shoulders.
“But,” she continued as she stood up. “Under no circumstances are you to embarrass your father or me. Do you understand? They are our neighbors, and we want to get along.”
“Yes, mother,” Tommy said. “I’ll try.”
As Margaret started to leave Tommy’s room, she turned around and looked at him with a huge smile.
“You like her, don’t you?” She said with a wink. Without waiting for a response, she was through the doorway and down the hall.
Tommy blushed.
His first week in Indiana came to a
close.
CHAPTER TEN -- A NEW NICKNAME
It did not take long for Tommy to realize that he just did not fit into this crowd of kids.
He tried to make friends, but it seemed to him that everyone was in a group, and he was definitely the outsider.
In home room one afternoon, they announced that volunteers were needed to help sell popcorn and sodas at the basketball game that afternoon.
Tommy decided that maybe this would help him fit in. He went down to the office to call his mother and ask permission to stay after school and help. When he arrived at the office, he realized that he did not know his new phone number. He asked the student assistant to look it up on his records for him. Word was around school faster than he could dial the phone. ‘Tommy Andrews did not know his home phone number.’
When he arrived after school, he realized that all the people helping were part of the band.
‘Another clique’, Tommy said to himself. One girl seemed to be in charge, and she assigned Tommy to clean up duty. “We can’t have someone handling money that doesn’t even know his own phone number, can we?” she asked as the rest of the group laughed. It would be a long time before Tommy volunteered again. He was beginning to hate this place.
A few weeks later, Tommy was working on his Industrial Arts project. The assignment was to print up some calling cards with your name, address and phone number. The lesson was to learn how to set the type, set up the printer, and print the cards.
Tommy thought he had done well. That is, until Mr. Clarkson pointed out to Tommy and the entire class that he had spelled Indiana incorrectly.
“Tommy,” he bellowed to the entire class. “Indiana is not spelled I-N-D-I-N-I-A”
This brought laughter from the entire class. Tommy was mortified. It didn’t take long for the story to get around school.
By the time lunch had arrived, even Gary Thurston had heard about the misspelling.
Gary had not said much to Tommy since his arrival and basically ignored the new neighbor.
As they passed each other in the hall, Gary yelled out to Tommy. “Hey Indinia.” Several girls standing by their lockers broke out in loud laughter and pointed at the newcomer.
It became Tommy’s new nickname, and he would never get over it. He retreated further into himself. His hatred for his new school grew.
CHAPTER
ELEVEN –BASKETBRAWL
To say that Muncie Central hated to lose would be the ultimate ‘understatement’. They were very poor losers. It all came to a head on December 28, 1963, while playing in a Holiday Tournament in Frankfort, Indiana.
Frankfort had invited the Marion Giants, Anderson Indians, and the defending state champion Bearcats to a Holiday Tournament. The ‘Hot Dogs’ wanted to show off their new 4.5-million-dollar sports facility.
In the afternoon game Central easily defeated Marion by a score of 91-71. But the game itself was an indication of what was to come that evening since each team had a player ejected for fighting.
In the other afternoon game, Anderson defeated the host team 67 to 41 setting up the contest that evening between the two biggest rivals in the state, the Muncie Central Bearcats and the Anderson Indians.
To this day the question remains, “Why did they place the Central and Anderson cheering sections side by side?”
It was a tough game. Anderson never trailed but the ‘Cats kept it close. Bearcat forward Glinder Torain was elbowed hard in the stomach early in the contest and never totally recovered.
It was rough and tumble basketball and was typical of the style of play in the North Central Conference.
The Bearcats would lose to Anderson 76 to 69.
Just before the final buzzer sounded, Bearcat forward Andie Higgins was seen slamming the ball into the face of John Gribb, one of the Anderson players. The ball hit John so hard, it drew blood from his nose and mouth.
At the same time a fan wearing a purple and white Muncie Central jacket, came out of the stands and spat on Anderson cheerleader Barbara Ballard and punched her in the face. Many fans left the stands, and the fighting began. A fight also erupted out in the parking lot where some Muncie fans attacked Steve Simpson of Anderson as he attempted to get into his car.
It was not the first altercation that Muncie fans and players were involved in. They both had a bad reputation around the North Central Conference and the state for being a group of “Thugs and Bullies.” A report surfaced that Andie Higgins had struck an Elkhart fan following a Central loss a few weeks earlier. That incident had not been reported to the Indiana High School Athletic Association.
One player at Central was nicknamed “Hatchet”. He would enter the game and throw elbows, punches, draw lots of fouls, and in general disrupt the opposition. In one game, “Hatchet” fouled out after playing for just one minute and fifty-seven seconds. Many schools did not want to play Central for that very reason.
Two years earlier, four seniors were suspended from the team for a hazing incident that got out of control. The I.H.S.A.A. threatened an investigation but the suspensions pacified L. V. Phillips who, at the time, was the Commissioner of the I.H.S.A.A.
An investigation of the near riot in Frankfort was soon started by the schools and by the Indiana High School Athletic Association. But the new Commissioner was no L.V. Phillips, and the people at Muncie Central knew it.
Head coach Ike Tallman stated that he did not see any Muncie player or student fighting.
Principal John Paul Huffman did not attend the tourney, because he was in Mexico on a Spanish Club field trip.
I.H.S.A.A. Commissioner Phil Eskew told the Muncie Star,
“I’m getting about all I want of incidents involving Muncie Central athletes and fans.
More than that, I’m going to do something about it. No matter where I go in Indiana, I hear about things that Muncie Central has done wrong. If Muncie Central wants to play its games and make sure it’s players and fans behave like ladies and gentlemen, we’re glad to have them in the I.H.S.A.A. There are 597 other schools that want to play that way. If Muncie Central doesn’t, then we can damn well get along without them.”
An attempt was made of trying to throw at least some of the blame to the Anderson crowd.
Some even called for Eskew to issue an apology to the people of Muncie for using ‘profane language’.
Complaints were made about the Anderson player elbowing Glindor Torain so hard in the stomach, it caused him not to play well. Many thought, ‘It wasn’t just Central fighting, they were all a part of it.’
There were also reports of a cover up of some prior incidents involving some players. In the hopes of pacifying the I.H.S.A.A., Central immediately suspended players Andie Higgins and Billy Ray for the rest of the season, at least that was the general consensus.
Unknown to most at the time, Commissioner Eskew had spent some time in Muncie in December going over court records. He had been tipped off to certain violations of I.S.H.A.A. rules that he wanted to investigate. These records indicated some serious violations of I.H.S.A.A. rules that had been covered up by the school. Indications of paternity suits against Andie Higgins and Billy Ray came to Eskew’s attention. It was also discovered that at least one Central coach knew about it. He told the player not to antagonize the girl because if the situation was made public, he would have to be dismissed from the team.
After the fracas in Frankfort, Eskew confronted Central Principal John Paul Huffman with his findings. He directed Huffman not to allow the two boys to play until after the I.H.S.A.A. concluded their investigation of the incident in Frankfort. He advised Central to do something, quickly. Central officials claimed the two suspensions had nothing to do with the incident at Frankfort. But the Jeannie was out of the bottle and there was no way to stuff it back in.
John threw down his newspaper. He and his family were sitting at the breakfast table and of course all the talk centered around the scandal.
“Those niggers have screwed it up this time,” John barked. “That’s what they get for allowing them on the team.”
Tommy could not believe what he was hearing.
“Dad, just so you know, the first Negro player to play at Central was back in 1930. Without Negroes on the team, they would not have those championships in 31, 51, 52, & 63,” Tommy said politely, then paused. “I am talking about all those state titles that everyone in this town seem to cherish so much. From what I have read in the papers and heard about in school,” Tommy continued. “It’s all about winning at Central. Nothing else seems to matter. The school administration and coaches have been covering up bad behavior by those thugs for years.”
“Shut up dork,” George responded. “You don’t know what you are talking about and neither does anyone else at that stupid Junior High you go to.”
“George, did you read the editorial in the paper?” Tommy stared at George.
“No dork, I don’t read that garbage.”
Tommy just rolled his eyes. “Mark my words big brother, Muncie Central is done. They won’t be playing any sports for a long time. Mr. Eskew is going to nail them to the cross. He is going to make an example out of them. It’s about more than just a fight at a basketball game. It goes much, much deeper than that. They will get what they deserve. They are going to get the death penalty.”
“You don’t know squat, little brother,” George glared at Tommy. “Besides what do you care?” he laughed. “You’ll never play high school basketball.”
That comment brought a chuckle from John.
Tommy thought better of it and did not respond.
Tommy thought back to an editorial he had seen shortly after the incident in Frankfort.
MUNCIE STAR EDITORIAL January 1, 1964
When school athletic events create a spawning ground for rowdyism instead of a basis for school pride, it’s time to take a close look at the system.
Muncie has gotten it’s share of civic black eyes for events revolving around Central’s basketball squad. The reported antics of team members and fans at the tourney Saturday at Frankfort may well be the straw that breaks the back of the I.H.S.A.A. patience.
A great many responsible people have lodged complaints about sluggings, spitting, and unsportsmanlike behavior at Frankfort. It was a generally shabby situation, and one that does nothing to make Muncie proud of itself.
Where does the responsibility lie for these sort of antics on the part of athletic team members and their followers? How long will the city condone this sort of representation?
The head of the I.H.S.A.A. has called for someone in Muncie to take the responsibility for the actions of team members and fans alike.
We conclude that a few troublemakers serve as the core of the problem. It would be wise for school authorities to get the dirty linens washed now, and hung out to dry on the line before the I.H.S.A.A. Board of Control meets Jan 14. The board may do a more severe job of washing.
Tommy knew deep down that this scandal involved a lot more than just some ‘dirty linens'.
Many people were concerned about the scheduled rematch at Anderson’s ‘Wig Wam’, scheduled for January 17. Many called for both schools to cancel the game, until things cooled down. They should not have worried.
On January 15, after meeting with administration members of all the schools involved, the I.H.S.A.A. Board of Control released its decision.
Muncie Central and all ninth graders from their three Junior High schools were ‘suspended’ from all I.H.S.A.A. activities for the rest of the year. They would be able to ‘apply’ for readmission for the year 1965, without a guarantee of readmission. Anderson was placed on a one year ‘probation’ while Marion received six months' probation.
In a statement issued by the I.H.S.A.A., they declared that “laxity and irregularities in the administration of the interscholastic athletic program were contributing factors to the decision.”
They put the blame right on top of the school administrators and coaches where it belonged.
They made an example out of Muncie Central.
Many people, including some on the school board, demanded resignations but none came.
N.A.A.C.P. leaders met with school officials, and ultimately concluded that the problems that they had helped uncover were even larger than just a race issue.
Forgotten in all the emotion was one small fact. Commissioner Phil Eskew did not have a vote on this decision. It was voted on by the I.H.S.A.A. Board of Control. Mr. Eskew may have been the prosecutor, but he was not the judge and jury. However, he would get the blame from everyone in that East Central Indiana town.
George would not be running cross country this year.
The rest of the basketball season was canceled.
Season ticket holders were reimbursed for the five home games that remained on the schedule. The Field House sat empty and silent, except for Muncie South games.
It would be years before Muncie Central would have another winning season. Tickets would become very easy to acquire.
The Muncie Central basketball dynasty was finished. By putting
winning ahead of ‘sportsmanship’ they lost control. Now
it was over.
CHAPTER
TWELVE – THE BUS
Soon it was February and Tommy still had not made any friends other than Howard. The two boys rode the bus together each morning. They would always sit up front close to the driver as they tried to stay as far away from the ‘bullies’ as possible.
This process worked out just fine for the two friends until one day when the bus route was altered, and they were picked up much later than usual.
By this time the front of the bus was full, and they had no choice but to sit close to the back of the bus.
They tolerated the stares and evil looks they got from several of the boys, and even ignored some of the rude remarks that came their way.
One day Tommy was by himself as Howard was at home recovering from the winter flu that was going around school.
As he sat by himself, one of the boys commented.
“Hey ‘Indinia’, where’s your boyfriend?”
Tommy turned to the boy. He didn't even know his name, as Tommy ignored most everyone at that school.
“He’s sick today and he is not my boyfriend,” Tommy replied with a scowl.
For the next five minutes, Tommy was pelted by a barrage of spitballs emanating from the last ow of the bus. He could hear the laughter.
Finally, he turned around.
“Stop it you morons,” he yelled at the group.
Tommy turned back around and clutched his history book.
All of a sudden Jason Jackson, a ninth grader who was seated directly behind Tommy, grabbed him around the throat and started to squeeze.
“Indinia,” he whispered into Tommy ear. “Let’s see how long it takes for you to pass out,” he then laughed.
Tommy heard several other laughs. “Hey J.J., make him turn blue,” someone commented.
Jason laughed and continued to squeeze.
Tommy wiggled and squirmed in his seat. He tried to pry the kids' hands from his throat to no avail.
Tommy knew that he would soon pass out.
He also knew that Jason’s face was about six inches directly behind the back of his head. With as much force as possible, he grabbed onto his history book, raised it up over his head and thrust it behind him.
As it turned out, the history book was much harder than Jason’s nose. Jason released Tommy from his grasp and screamed as the blood started to spurt from his newly broken nose.
Tommy immediately turned around and glared at the group.
“Any of you bastards ever touch me again, I’ll do the same thing to you. You got that?” he yelled at the group.
“You broke my damn nose,” Jason moaned.
“Yes, you idiot,” Tommy glared. “You tried to strangle me. You got off lucky.”
“Your word against ours,” one of the other boys sneered. “No one’s gonna believe the ‘newbie’.”
The bus driver heard the commotion but did not see anything. Soon the bus pulled up to the school and the students started to disembark. Jason was able to hide his face from the driver as he got off the bus.
One of Jason’s friends took him to the school nurse. His parents were called and soon Tommy was pulled from class and was sitting in front of Dr. Howard.
The principal was not happy.
“So, you like beating up kids on the bus, do you?” he said.
“Only when they try to kill me,” Tommy said sarcastically.
“Kill you? Come on Tommy,” Dr. Howard laughed. “You can come up with a better story than that.”
“Honest sir, that kid tried to strangle me,” Tommy said almost pleading with the man.
“Tommy, I talked to Jason and several of his friends. They told me that it was an unprovoked attack. They say he didn’t do anything to you.”
“Sir, that is just not true,” Tommy said with a raised voice.
“They’re lying.”
“Son, I do not think they would lie. I have known these boys for years. I play golf with Ed’s father and Jason’s father is on the school board. They don’t lie,” Dr. Howard said flatly.
“So, I do, sir? Is that what you are saying?”
Dr. Howard took off his glasses and stared directly at Tommy.
“Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. I think you are making the whole thing up. Frankly I am extremely disappointed in you. What did they teach you back in Minnesota? Hand to hand combat?” he threw his glasses on the desk.
Tommy decided not to correct the man. He also realized that he was wasting his time trying to explain what had happened. Dr. Howard had no intention of believing him. Tommy knew he could not overcome school board members and golfing buddies.
“Three weeks detention and you will not be riding the bus for those three weeks,” he stood up. The conversation was over.
“How am I going to get to school? And get home?” Tommy asked.
“That is up to your parents. They can bring you or you can walk,” He pointed to the door. “I really don’t care.”
Tommy sulked out of the office. He knew there would be plenty of trouble when he got home. He also knew that no one in this school would ever believe him. He felt like he was on a deserted island. Although surrounded by people, he was alone.
As Tommy left detention that afternoon, he saw his father standing in the hall waiting for him. His father never left work. This was going to be bad.
As he walked up to his father, Tommy could not look at him. He stared at the floor.
“Get your ass outside. Wait for me in the car,” John demanded as he pointed toward the exit.
Tommy did what he was told.
He waited for what seemed to be forever for his father to exit the school and get into the car.
After about twenty minutes John finally opened the door and got into the Cadillac. Not a word was spoken. They drove home in complete silence.
When they arrived home, Tommy walked slowly into the house and started for his room.
“Not so fast young man,” his father barked. “Get your sorry ass into the living room.”
Margaret was already sitting in her rocking chair with a scorned look on her face. She pointed to the sofa.
“Sit,” she commanded.
Tommy sat down.
John walked over to his huge easy chair and sat down with a sigh.
“What in the hell is wrong with you?” he commanded. “You broke that poor boys nose. For no reason, you attacked him,” he yelled.
“Dad, I,” Tommy started to say something, but his father cut him off.
“Shut the hell up, I don’t want to hear it. You are nothing but trouble. Your attitude stinks and your grades stink. I am ashamed of you.” John said sternly. “If it wasn’t for the family resemblance, I would swear that you weren’t our son. Your brother has a good attitude, and his grades are perfect. What the hell is wrong with you?” John’s voice got louder.
Tommy started to reply, but again got cut off.
“Your grounded for two weeks,” he yelled. “And I’ll deduct the medical expenses that I have to fork over from your allowance. It’ll be a long damn time before you see any money to buy those damn books you always have your nose into.”
“Dad, it wasn’t my fault,” Tommy pleaded. “He started it.”
"I don’t want to hear it. No excuses. They all said you attacked that boy for no reason,” John said.
Margaret had been quiet. Now she spoke up.
“Tommy, I don’t care what happened or why,” she said. “You don’t fight. Ever. You walk away.”
“Walk away!” Tommy yelled. “I was on the damn bus. Where the hell was I gonna to walk to?”
“Don’t you raise your voice to your mother, and you watch your language, young man,” John yelled back.
“I think you need to spend the weekend in your room,” Margaret said. “And after that outburst and language, you’re grounded for a month.”
“Fine,” Tommy said softly. “You can ground me for a year. I don’t care. I hate that school, and I hate this town.”
Tommy's father sighed. “Well, if that’s the way you want it, it’s OK with me,” he paused. “I guess your mother will have to take you back and forth to school for a while. Or you can walk. I am not missing any more work because of you.”
John got up and pointed to the hall.
“Your room, now,” he commanded.
Tommy could not believe that his father would not let him explain why he did what he did.
He was protecting himself, and his father believed the story those other kids told. Just like Dr. Howard, he believed them rather than his own son. Tommy was devastated.
He slowly walked to his room and closed the door behind him.
It would be a long month for Tommy. Margaret was not pleased that she had to take him to school each day. Most days, he walked home.
As usual, Tommy spent all his time in his room reading. Since he was grounded, he was limited to the books he could get from the Junior High library. He had a hard time finding books that he wanted to read.
A couple of weeks later, as Tommy was closing his locker, he felt someone behind him. When he turned around, he came face to face with Jason Jackson.
“You and me ‘Indinia’, after school. Meet me at ‘The Bridge.’ He then turned around and walked away.
’The Bridge’ was a small walking bridge that spanned the creek behind the school. Many students used it to gain access to the housing development across the creek. It saved them from walking all the way down to North Tillotson Avenue, and it cut off about ten minutes of their walk to and from school. ‘Cardinal Creek’ was also where students met when they wanted to fight.
He knew how much trouble he would get into at home. He also knew that he had no choice.
So, at three fifteen Tommy Andrews arrived at ‘The Bridge’. A small crowd had gathered since word of the fight had spread rapidly around school.
“Hey ‘Indinia’, you’re gonna get your butt beat today,” someone in the crowd yelled.
Tommy looked at the boy, “Says who?”
“Jason says so,” was the response.
“So where is he?” Tommy asked.
“Here comes Ed, let’s ask him?” someone else said.
Ed Miller soon walked up to the group.
“Where’s Jason?” Tommy asked. “I’m ready for this to be over and done with.”
Ed looked down at the ground. “He’s not coming,” Jason said almost in a whisper.
“He isn’t coming?” a girl asked. “Why not?”
“His mom picked him up after school,” Ed said sheepishly. “He forgot that he had to go to his trombone lesson.”
Everyone laughed including Tommy.
“Well, I for one have no more time for this foolishness,” Tommy responded. “He won’t get a second chance. I’m outta here.”
As Tommy walked away, he heard one student say. “You gotta admit, that dudes got a lot of nerve. I sure as hell ain’t gonna mess with him.”
Tommy started to smile as he began his long and cold walk home.
CHAPTER
THIRTEEN – SCHOOL DAYS, SCHOOL DAYS
As winter turned into spring, Tommy had given up on trying to make new friends. However, his relationship with Dawn blossomed as the days and weeks went by. They spent all their spare time together, mostly at the library. John and Margaret were concerned about his grades. All his teachers said the same thing. “Tommy is smart. He just doesn’t apply himself.”
Tommy hated school. Most of the kids were not interested in being friends with the ‘newcomer’. Every time he tried to participate in class, he would hear a snicker or two from the ‘bullies’.
As he walked down the hall, he could feel that the kids were staring at him. He ignored them.
He wanted to go home.
He ignored everything else about this school. All the kids thought they were better than anyone else. He was amazed that any of them could get their inflated heads through the door every morning.
The only friend he had was Howard and he was being bullied worse than Tommy.
Tommy retreated further into himself.
Tommy saw a lot of Gary Thurston at school. Gary mostly ignored him. He was usually with David Torbin. One Saturday Dawn and Tommy took the bus downtown to go to the library.
Tommy could not wait until May when the new Kennedy Branch would open near their house.
On the way downtown, he asked Dawn about Gary.
“Tommy, my brother can be a real jerk sometimes,” she said. “Consider yourself lucky that he doesn’t want to be your friend. You probably should not hang out with any of his friends either.”
One day in late April, Tommy was helping the audio-visual group set up for the annual school play. They were getting ready to do ‘Mr. Crane of Sleepy Hollow’.
As Tommy laid audio cables across the gym floor, Gary and David walked through the gym.
As Gary stepped over the cables, David reached down to the floor and grabbed one of the wires. He then cut it with his nail clipper.
“Looks like one of your wires broke, dork.” he said with a laugh. Gary could not contain his laughter.
Tommy could not take it anymore. He hated that word. Tommy was called ‘dork’ at home. He was sick and tired of the way this school was treating him. He was on the big kid in a flash. Soon they were flailing around on the gym floor. The fight didn’t last long since it did not take the Gym teacher Mr. Mong long to reach the boys.
“All right you boys, break it up this instant.” he yelled at the two students. He grabbed each by the collar. As Tommy was pulled off the floor, he noticed Gary was standing there with a big smile on his face.
“You're next, you son of a bitch!” Tommy yelled in Gary’s direction.
Mr. Mong let David go and turned Tommy around. “We do not act that way in this school. You got that Andrews!” he said calmly, but firmly. “You and I are going to the principal's office.”
He started to head towards the gym exit, still holding Tommy by the collar. As they exited the gym, he let go of Tommy’s collar. Then he smacked him hard on the back of the head. “You, young man are a bully.”
Since the gym teacher only saw Tommy jumping the bigger boy, David and Gary were not punished. Tommy was given a weeks detention and kicked off the school play. Margaret was called and was asked to come to the school.
“Can you imagine how embarrassing this is, young man?” his mother asked as she drove them home. “You started another fight! Dr. Howard is really upset with you. He ranted and raved at me for twenty minutes about you being a bully. You don’t start fights for any reason. Did you not learn that the last time? Thank God, you and Gary did not get into it.”
John was extremely angry. He never let Tommy explain what happened.
Tommy hated nothing more than having to go into the living room for a lecture. John would sit in his huge chair and go on and on about life. How Tommy should behave and what a failure he was. Tommy sometimes wished that his father would just beat him and get it over with. After a sixty-minute lecture, he grounded Tommy until the end of the school year. Tommy didn’t mind. Other than Dawn, he had no friends and no social life. He had a feeling that after today he probably would not be seeing Dawn for a while. He spent most of his ‘sentence’ in his room.
Somehow, Tommy made it through the rest of the school year without incident. He would sit in class and stare straight ahead. He refused to pay attention and never participated in class discussions. He rarely did his homework. His grades had dropped to C’s and D’s, and John threatened to put him in summer school.
After a lot of pleading and promises to do better the following year, John relented.
Tommy spent most of the early part of summer in his room reading books. When he finished one, he would walk or ride his bike to the library and get another one. He did not see much of Dawn, and he missed her company. She was busy with her many friends enjoying the summer at the pool down the street.
In mid-summer, Margaret decided to have a ‘cook out’ and invited the Thurston’s. Tommy was told to be on his best behavior and George was assigned the task of keeping an eye on him.
Tommy had not seen much of Dawn since the incident at school and he did not want to cause any more trouble.
Everyone enjoyed themselves. Tommy’s lone problem was the dark stares he got from both his brother and Gary. He never noticed that the two of them had become friends. That was all he needed, but he kept his composure. He and Dawn spent most of the afternoon sitting on a blanket under one of the small trees in the backyard catching up on each other's activities.
Tommy and Dawn were looking forward to the upcoming school year. They both would be at the same school.
Soon, summer was over. It was time for a new school year.
CHAPTER 14 -- EIGHTH GRADE WOES (SEPTEMBER 1964)
As the eighth grade got underway, Tommy and Dawn were inseparable. They would meet at the bus stop every morning. Although they had no classes together, they did have the same lunch period, so they could sit together every day. Tommy wasn’t worried about making new friends, he had all the friends he needed.
Tommy and Dawn spent a great deal of their time at the new library branch that was now open. It was close enough that the two could walk from home.
Tommy joined the Science Club and the Audio-Visual club. He worked a little harder in class. He decided it was better to work harder than listen to John lecture him on life, growing up, and how much of a failure he thought Tommy was.
By the time the first grades came out, he had improved to B’s and C’s. He was told he could do better, as these grades were not good enough. He needed to spend more time studying and less time with Dawn. Tommy was crushed, because he thought he had worked much harder this grading period. Meanwhile he had to endure hearing about George’s good grades, and how he should be more like his brother.
Over the next several months, Tommy worked hard. He wanted to get his grades up and show his father that he was a good student like George. He was especially enjoying Mrs. Matias’s English Literature class. Any class that allowed him to read was his favorite. Tommy did well, and almost got an ‘A’. Mrs. Matias sent a note home telling Tommy’s parents he would have gotten an ‘A’, had he participated more in class. This note caused another trip to the living room, and another lecture from John.
By the time the next grading period ended, Tommy had gotten his grades up to all ‘B’s. John reminded Tommy that he could do better. Tommy is devastated to hear that these grades don’t suit John.
No matter what he did, Tommy felt like a failure.
Within a week, he was in trouble for fighting again.
He was walking down the hall when one of Gary’s friends pushed him from behind. Tommy turned and struck back with a right cross. He was suspended for three days and given two weeks detention.
John and Margaret were livid. After another hour lecture from John, Tommy was grounded for a month. Home life was like a prison. To make matters worse, he was not allowed to see Dawn, except at school. Dawn was supportive, but beginning to wonder why she was friends with him. She did not like the way he was acting. Tommy was sure she was getting pressure from Gary.
Shortly after returning to school, he got a note from Dawn asking to meet her after school behind the bleachers.
The football field was located in between a small creek in the back of the school and at the bottom of an incline. The depth made the bleachers blend in with the landscape. It was an out of the way location, away from the main entrance, and the side of the school where the buses were located.
When Tommy arrived, Dawn was nowhere to be found. He was waiting for her when David Torbin walked around the corner along with Wayne Flarerty and Danny Watson. Danny was the one that pushed Tommy in the hallway and got a busted lip for his trouble. Wayne was carrying a baseball bat.
“Looking for someone?” Danny said with a glare.
“None of your damn business moron,” was Tommy’s reply.
Danny was the same height as Tommy. His long black hair fell right over his ears. “I owe you Andrews, and I plan to collect on your debt today.”
Tommy wanted to tell the bully that he had the sentence wrong, but he kept quiet. Tommy did not see David sneak around him and come up from behind. David grabbed Tommy by the arms and pulled them behind him.
Tommy knew he was in trouble since it was three against one. He also knew that Danny was behind this. In Tommy’s eyes, David was not smart enough to come up with this plan.
“You know Andrews, you should be smart enough to recognize your girlfriends handwriting. You never suspected it wasn’t hers.” Danny laughed. “It was nice of my sister to write it for me.”
“Well,” Tommy replied, “At least I can read.”
That’s when Danny landed the first punch.
“How’s that feel dork,” Danny said with a smile.
Tommy smiled through his busted lip. “You are a big man Watson. So big you have to bring your little idiot playmates along to help”.
Danny landed another punch, and another, and another.
When Danny was done, he smiled at Wayne and said, “Hey Wayne, you wanna have some fun?” David increased his grip on Tommy. Tommy knew there was more to come, and he did not think he could take it. Wayne still had the bat in his hands.
All of a sudden Tommy heard a familiar voice. “Stop it, all of you. He’s had enough.”
Tommy looked over to where the voice was coming from. It was Gary Thurston.
Tommy felt his arms go limp.
“We was just paying him back for what he did to Danny,” David said with a grunt.
“Payment is made,” Gary said. “Now get the hell outta here.” When the boys hesitated, Gary yelled. “NOW!!”
The three boys scattered.
Tommy was on his knees. He looked up at Gary and all he could say was, “Thanks.”
“Don’t thank me, I did it for my sister. She might be upset if they ruined your ugly face,”
Gary said as he turned and walked away.
Tommy wasn’t sure if he had missed the bus. He did not want Dawn seeing him bleeding and bruised, so he decided to walk home. His head hurt like hell and his side ached. His right eye was almost swollen shut.
When Tommy didn’t come home, Margaret began to worry. She called the Thurstons. “No Mrs. Andrews, Tommy didn’t get on the bus. He said he would meet me on the bus, but he didn’t show up,” Dawn told her. “I have no idea where he is.”
Mrs. Weatherspoon said that Howard had not seen Tommy either. Tommy didn’t have many friends so there was no one else she could ask. She paced the floor.
It took him an hour and a half to make it home. Margaret was frantic.
“Oh my GOD,” she screamed when she saw Tommy. “What happened?”
Tommy thought for a moment about telling her what had happened behind the bleachers. He knew she would not believe the story.
“Got into a fight Mom,” was all he said as he went to his room.
Margaret followed him to his room. “Let me see,” she exclaimed as she gently turned Tommy’s head towards her.
“I think you will live, but you got one good shiner there,” She got some peroxide and cotton from the bathroom and cleaned up Tommy’s face.
“You’ll be talking to your father about this when he gets home,” she said as she left the room.
“Nothing to talk about,” Tommy replied to the now empty doorway.
John never asked what happened. Tommy was grounded for another month. The discussion was over in sixty seconds. Tommy was glad not to have to listen to another one of his father's marathon lectures. George stood in the hall with a smile, shaking his head.
Tommy put his hands to his face. It hurt, but he would live to fight another day. With the exception of Dawn, he hated this place. He hated his school, his classmates, and this city. He wanted to go home.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN – A NEW FRIEND
Tommy stayed home from school the next day. Since it was Friday, Margaret thought a three-day rest would help him heal. Dawn came over that evening as Gary had told her about the incident behind the bleachers. She gave Tommy a big hug and cried on his shoulder. Then she turned his head toward her, and gently kissed him on the lips. Dawn knew Tommy was lost and hated this town and that school.
It was the first time Tommy had been kissed, at least by someone other than his mother or grandmother. Although it hurt his busted lip, it felt good. He kissed her back. Then they sat there for a while, quietly holding hands, Dawn resting her head on Tommy’s shoulder.
Since the altercation took place after school, the school took no action. In addition, Tommy would not name his attackers. He knew his day would come.
Tommy went back to school and behaved himself. He retreated further into himself, and his grades suffered dramatically. He had lost all the momentum that he had gained during the school year. He sat in class but did not participate. He again signed up to help with the school play. This year they would be performing ‘So This Is Paris’. Tommy enjoyed running the audio equipment, and he was good at it.
During the first day of rehearsals, Mrs. Matias came to see Tommy. Walking behind her was a girl that Tommy had seen around school. He did not know her name, but thought she was in seventh grade. Since Mrs. Matias was the director of the play, she was also in charge of placing anyone who wanted to help with the play. No one was turned away.
Denise Hahn was about five feet tall with long auburn hair that was styled down the center of her back. She walked with a limp, a casualty of a minor birth defect.
She was no beauty, but Tommy thought she had ‘cuteness’ about her. She looked shy, as she hung her head while Mrs. Matias talked. Her shyness caused her to stutter, and she spent most of the time with her arms folded across her chest, usually clutching a textbook. Tommy decided that it was not a gesture of disdain, but an attempt on her part to hide her maturing body. While most of the Junior High girls squeezed into the tightest sweaters, they could find to show off their emerging bodies, Denise wore the largest tops she could find.
Tommy knew that she had no friends and the kids made fun of her all the time because of her limp and stutter.
“Tommy, this is Denise Hahn,” Mrs. Matias said. “She would like to help you with the audio for the play.” She then walked away, leaving Denise standing in front of Tommy.
Tommy did not need the help but did not want to disappoint this girl. In many ways she reminded Tommy of himself.
“Well, Denise, welcome to the madhouse,” Tommy smiled.
Denise did not say much as Tommy explained all the switches and dials on the audio console he was running. He showed her how to hook up the microphones and where the speakers were located. By the end of the first rehearsal, he actually got a smile from her, but not much in the way of conversation.
By the time rehearsals were over, Denise knew the audio console like the back of her hand.
Tommy did not realize how smart she was. And Denise had not noticed that Tommy was letting he do most of the audio mixing. When opening night came, he told her that she would be running the audio for the play.
“B-B-But that’s your job,” she stammered.
“Yes,” Tommy said. “And you can do it as well as me,” He winked at her.
Denise smiled widely. “R-R-Really?” she said looking down at the floor.
Tommy reached over to her and with a gentle finger and pushed up on her chin so he could look at her.
“Look at me Denise. You can do this,” Tommy said, “I have taught you all I can. Now it’s your turn.” Tommy smiled and gave her a quick wink, as he handed her the clipboard.
“I can’t wait to t-t-tell my dad, "She said with a huge smile.
Neither Tommy nor Denise noticed Mrs. Matias standing nearby, with a huge smile on her face. She was happy that the two people who never seemed to fit in, had become friends.
Over the course of the rehearsals, Tommy had learned that Denise’s mother had died of cancer a year earlier. Her father was raising her alone, and it was he that insisted she sign up to help with the play.
The play went well, and the audio was perfect. Tommy sat behind Denise the whole time and gently made a suggestion or two. But he wanted it to be her show. The audience loved the play and the cast got a standing ovation.
After the play, as parents picked up their kids, Ted Hahn noticed a little difference in his daughter’s attitude.
She went on and on about how she got to run all the audio for the entire performance. Denise told her dad how nice Tommy was. She had a broad smile on her face that Ted had not seen since before his wife passed away.
CHAPTER
SIXTEEN – PALM SUNDAY DISASTER - April 11, 1965
It had been a nice Palm Sunday. Tommy spent some time with Dawn and the rest of the day in his room reading.
Tommy had heard earlier on the radio about some bad storms in other parts of Indiana and the mid-west but did not give it a second thought.
He was laying on his bed when he felt the house shaking in the wind. He had been so engrossed in his latest novel, he had not noticed that the wind had picked up and rain was pelting his bedroom window.
“Tommy,” John called to him from the hallway. “Storms a comin', best we all get down to the basement.”
“Dad, it’s OK,” Tommy replied. “Just a little rain, no big deal.” Tommy turned his attention back to his book.
His father appeared in the doorway. “Don’t make me tell you again, young man,” John barked. He then pointed to the hallway.
Tommy closed his book and rose from the bed, just as the electricity went off.
The storm turned out to be huge. The family huddled against a basement wall. It didn’t take long for George and Tommy to get into a tussle.
"Boys, stop it this instant!” Margaret yelled. The boys mother hardly ever raised her voice.
But Margaret did not like storms and was scared half out of her wits. Tommy and George knew they better not push the issue.
Tommy crawled over to a corner and read his book with a flashlight. George and John played cards, while Margaret sat and gently rocked from side to side, fear etched on her face.
About eleven o’clock, John determined that the storms had passed. He instructed the boys to go upstairs and get to bed. It was a school night, and they needed their rest.
Muncie was spared the brunt of the storms. Lots of rain and some wind was the worst of it.
However, the rest of the state and surrounding states were not as fortunate.
One of the largest storms streaked across the south side of Marion some fifty miles to the northwest. The early evening tornado left five dead in its wake. In the Marion area, twenty-five people would lose their lives, with thirty-six deaths in the Elkhart area of Northern Indiana.
In Dunlap, Indiana a dual tornado destroyed the Midway Trailer Park on Hi-way 33 killing fourteen.
When it was over, 271 people were killed and 1,500 injured in the mid-west outbreak. It was the deadliest tornado outbreak in Indiana history, with 137 people killed.
There was some good to come out of all the carnage. Many cities would begin to install Tornado Warning Sirens and radio and television stations began to be more diligent about weather warnings. In the future many lives would be saved by these types of warnings.
However, the Palm Sunday storms and tornadoes would pale against the hurricane that was about to strike.
CHAPTER
SEVENTEEN – THE BIG BLOW MAY 24, 1965
The school year started to wind down. Tommy was doing poorly in his classes and all of his teachers were concerned. John and Margaret were called in for a conference. They told them that unless Tommy did well on his final exams, he would get all ‘D’s on his last report card of the year. His teachers all told John and Margaret that Tommy just did not apply himself. He was capable of good grades, if he would just try. John was furious and told Tommy he would be going to summer school and was grounded until school was out. Which made no sense to Tommy, since he was already grounded. But he thought better about saying anything.
A week and a half before school was dismissed for the summer, Tommy was standing by his locker preparing to meet Dawn on the bus for the ride home. He was not paying attention to his surroundings as he was lost in thought. All of a sudden, he heard a commotion. As he turned around, he saw David Torbin walking down the hall backwards. He was facing Denise Hahn, who was limping towards her locker across the hall. David was imitating her limp. Denise was clutching her history book against her chest.
“Come on crip, let me play with them,” he laughed.
“P-P-Please leave me a-a-alone,” Denise begged.
As she reached her locker, David pushed her against the wall.
“I w-w-won’t hurt them,” he laughed mocking her stutter. “I just w-w-w-wanna see if they’re real.”
Tommy could see the terror in her eyes. He had never seen eyes open that wide. Her book seemed to shake in her arms. There were several students standing around watching this unfold.
No one moved or said a word. No one tried to stop what was going on.
Tommy suddenly realized what this bully was talking about. In the last several months Denise had started to mature, and she was on her way to becoming an attractive teenage girl. Since she was so shy, she tried to hide it. David was talking about her breasts.
“P-P-Please!!” she cried out. Denise was terrified.
“But they look so n-n-n-nice.” David said with a grin as he reached for her. He knocked the book out of her hands and grabbed her. Denise turned her head in shame.
Tommy heard a few chuckles from those standing and watching. He knew that David was touching her in a way that was wrong and unwanted.
Something inside Tommy, deep down, ‘snapped’. This went beyond picking on someone. This was totally wrong. This was trouble.
He was across the hall in two strides. Grabbing David by the shoulder he spun the bully around.
“You wanna make fun of her because she limps?” he yelled. With that he brought down his size eight boot on top of David’s foot. David yelled in pain.
“You wanna touch her? You son of a bitch,” Tommy grabbed David’s index finger and bent it back until he heard a popping sound. It all happened so fast that David did not have the reaction time to respond. The pain was more than David could take. He screamed.
Tommy grabbed the bully and somehow found the strength to throw him to the floor.
“And this,” Tommy said calmly. “Is for the bleachers.” He then proceeded to get several blows to David’s face.
All of a sudden, Tommy felt someone grab him from behind by both ears and try to pull him away from the bully. He reacted by swinging at his attacker.
But his assailant turned out to be Mr. Mong, the Gym teacher. It was a glancing blow, but Tommy knew immediately what he had done.
Mr. Mong recovered quickly and hollered at Tommy.
“That’s enough!!! You’re done, you hear me?” he yelled.
Another teacher arrived and helped David up. He was in serious pain and could hardly stand.
At this point, two other teachers had arrived, and they were holding Tommy back. “You ever go near her again, I’ll kill you, you bastard,” Tommy yelled. “There won’t be a rock big enough to hide your sorry ass under.”
“Enough is enough Andrews,” Mr. Mong yelled.
All of the hurt, the bullying, and his hatred for this school and this town had finally boiled to the surface.
Thomas Curtis Andrews was completely out of control.
Denise picked up her book and moved down the hall. She looked like she was in a trance. All the color had drained from her skin. She resembled a corpse. Denise paused for a moment then eased her way further down the hall towards the side door. All eyes were on Tommy and the commotion in the hall. They ignored Denise as she slowly opened the door and limped to the bus in tears.
The rest was a blur to Tommy. He was taken to the principal's office while David was helped to the school infirmary. Students stood in hushed conversations. Dr Howard called Margaret and told her to come to the school immediately.
By the time Margaret arrived Tommy had calmed down.
Tommy was surprised that no one, including the principal asked him what had happened and why he assaulted another student.
“We don’t like troublemakers in our school,” Dr. Howard said sternly as he looked at Tommy. “And you have been a troublemaker since the day you arrived at this school.”
Tommy started to say something in his defense, but his mother stopped him.
“Don’t say a word young man. You're in enough trouble here without your mouth getting you into more.”
Tommy had never seen his mother this angry. He had done some stupid things in his life, and she never looked at him the way she was now looking. He did not want to think about what his father was going to do.
Tommy wanted to shout from the mountain top and tell everyone what had happened. But why would they believe him? He knew the story would get around school and that the story would change as it circulated. He thought about Denise, and how embarrassed she would be. He quickly decided to keep quiet, take his punishment, and live to fight another day. If they didn’t care to ask him what happened, then they didn’t need to know. ‘To hell with them’, he thought. He sat there in silence staring at the floor.
While Tommy and his mother were with Dr. Howard, one of the teachers cleaned out Tommy’s locker.
There would be no discussion on the matter. Tommy was expelled for the rest of the year and would be on probation when school started in the fall. If he caused one more bit of trouble he would be expelled permanently.
As they left the school, Tommy realized that a small group of students had stayed around.
They were milling around the halls watching and waiting. As Tommy and his mother left the building, Tommy could hear muffled conversations. He knew they were talking about ‘the bad kid.’ He didn’t care.
Tommy was right. It did not take long for the story to circulate around school. Of course, the only part being told was that Tommy Andrews attacked a student and punched out a teacher in a fit of rage. The Denise Hahn part was never mentioned and soon forgotten by all those who witnessed it. Except for Denise.
She would never forget.
CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN – REACTION
Margaret sent Tommy to his room and called her husband at work. When John finally arrived at home, Margaret filled him in on the situation. She had no idea this was just the beginning.
John sent George to get Tommy.
“Come on loser,” George said softly so their parents could not hear him. “Time to face the music, and boy I’m gonna enjoy this,” he said with a chuckle.
Tommy walked into the living room and looked at John. He was sitting in his chair with a scorned look on his face.
Tommy pointed at George. “Does he have to be here for this?” he asked.
John pointed at the sofa. “Shut the hell up and sit down,” he commanded, ignoring Tommy’s question.
“You beat up another boy and hit a teacher!” he raised his voice. “You hit a teacher! What in the name of Jesus T. Christ were you thinking? No, you didn’t think, you never think. You haven’t had a god damn thought since the day your sorry ass was born. You must be stupid, a real dumb ass.”
John continued his rant. “You’re nothing but trouble. Everyday it’s something new with you,” he said throwing his hands up in the air.
“When I look at you, I am ashamed that you're my son.”
Tommy hung his head. He had never seen his father this upset.
“God damn it boy, look at me when I am talking to you,” John screamed at his son.
Tommy looked up and started to say something.
“No,” his father glared. “Don’t say a god damn word. I don’t want to hear anything from you.”
John got up and was now pacing the room.
Margaret sat across the room, tears streaming down her face. She knew she could not intervene. She had done that too many times. She had to let John continue. Tommy noticed that George was standing in the hallway trying to suppress a smile.
Tommy knew this was going to be bad.
John continued. “I don’t know what to do with you. Why can’t you be like George and not cause problems?” he asked, pointing towards his older son. “All we expect out of you, is that you go to school, get good grades, and stay out of trouble. Is that so God damned hard? You can’t even do that, can you?”
Tommy started to answer.
“You shut the hell up, damn it,” John hollered. “I told you not to talk mister, and I meant it.”
Margaret finally found her voice. “John, please calm down,” she said.
“Calm down my ass. This kid is nothing but trouble, and I am damn tired of him. He’s an embarrassment to this family.”
He sat down again, this time on the edge of his chair and tried to regain his composure. It had not been a good day for John. He was having trouble maintaining his composure.
“Young man, you will now go to your room. I don’t want to see you; I don’t want to talk to you. You will stay in your room except to use the bathroom,” he paused.
“You will stay there until I tell you to come out. If she wants to, your mother can take your meals to you. I don’t give a damn. For all I care, you can starve.”
He looked at George. “George, go get his radio and his record player. He won’t be needing them for a while.” George didn’t reply, he just turned around and went down the hall. Tommy could not see the smile on his face.
“You may be in there a week, or maybe a month. I may decide to leave you in your room until hell freezes over. At least in your room you won’t be getting into trouble.”
John got out of the chair again.
“Now, get the hell out of my sight, you little bastard, before I take a swing at you myself.” He pointed to the hall.
“Your mother and I have to decide what to do with you,” he said sternly. “This is far, far from over.”
Tommy knew better than to say anything. In all his young years, he had never seen his father rage like this. He stood up and slowly walked to his room with his head down.
CHAPTER NINETEEN – RUMORS
The next day the Junior High rumor mill was in full swing. One of Dawn’s friends ran up to her after first period with an alarmed look on her face.
Dawn was standing at her locker. She was still wondering why Tommy had missed the bus.
“Dawn, did you hear?” Tina exclaimed.
Dawn closed her locker. “Hear what?” she asked, turning to her friend.
“Tommy and Dave Torbin got into it in the hall after school yesterday. Tommy got expelled for the rest of the year.”
Dawn’s eyes opened wide. “Expelled? No way.”
“Yeah,” Tina said. “I heard about it during first period. He attacked Torbin in the hall and kicked his butt. When Mr. Mong tried to break it up, Tommy slugged him.”
“Tina, I know Tommy Andrews like the back of my hand. He would never hit a teacher. Not him. No. Never.”
“Well, that’s what I heard,” Tina sighed. “I wonder what got into him. Torbin is much bigger than he is. Tommy must have surprised him.”
By the time lunch period arrived, it was all over the school. The bad kid was gone after jumping an unsuspecting Dave Torbin while standing at his locker, and then decking the gym teacher. Everyone who told the story told it in a different manner. Some left the Mr. Mong part out of their story. No one mentioned Denise.
Dawn searched for her brother and found him in the library.
“Gary, did you hear about Tommy?”
Gary sighed. “Yeah, Dawn and it isn’t good. Tommy beat Torbin up really bad. Damn near killed him from what I heard. Broke his foot, two fingers, knocked out a few teeth, and messed his face up. It was brutal. I heard he had to go to the hospital.”
“Gary, Tommy wouldn’t do that. I know you hate him, but you don’t know him like I do.” Dawn said with a raised voice.
Mrs. Troxell, the school librarian shot her a nasty look.
“Keep it down over there,” she said quietly. Dawn lowered her head and stared at the table.
“Gary, something isn’t right here. It makes no sense,” she started to cry.
“Sis, calm down. Maybe it’s for the best. Tommy does not seem to be the right guy for you. Maybe it’s best if you move on.”
“No Gary. I will not move on,” Dawn stood up.
“Dawn, it’ll be OK. I promise,” Gary felt bad for his sister. He looked at Dawn and realized for the first time that perhaps she was stuck on this boy.
“Mom and dad are going to have a fit,” Dawn said quietly as she slowly walked away.
It was the longest day of her short life. Everyone kept asking her about Tommy. The stories about what happened in the hall got wilder as the day progressed. Dawn was in a trance and ignored the questions. Somehow, she got through the day.
Mildred was sitting at the kitchen table when the kids got home from school. Dawn could tell by the look on her face that she had heard about Tommy.
“Dawn,” she said. “I think we need to talk.” She looked at Gary and her son knew that he needed to go to his room and give them some privacy.
Dawn sat down beside her mother.
“So, you heard?” Dawn asked.
“Yes, honey I did. Margaret called. She thought I should know,” she sighed. “What in the world happened?”
“Mom, I don’t know,” Dawn started to cry. “I heard all kinds of stories at school today and none of them made any sense to me. All the stories were different.”
"Did Tommy beat up that boy and hit a teacher? Is that part true?”
Dawn nodded her head.
“But Mom, there has to be a good reason. I know Tommy. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.” The tears continued to flow.
Mildred reached over and took Dawn’s hand in hers.
“Honey, obviously he would hurt a fly. This is not the first time he has been in trouble. His grades are terrible and he's fighting all the time. There must be something seriously wrong with him. I don’t think he's the type of boy your father and I want you seeing.”
Dawn’s eyes opened wide. “Mom, no!” she cried. “I like Tommy. I like him a lot.”
“Dawn, when I talked to Margaret this afternoon, she told me that all they knew was what Dr. Howard told them. Tommy attacked that boy in the hall for no apparent reason and when Mr. Mong tried to break it up, Tommy turned around and hit him. The boy is totally out of control.
He's become violent.”
“Mom, there has to be more to it than just that,” Dawn cried.
“Maybe so,” Mildred said looking at Dawn. “I am not going to take that chance. He might hurt you and Margaret agrees with me. We both feel that you two should not see each other any-more.”
“No mom, no,” she sobbed. “Tommy would never hurt me. Never.”
“Dawn, as you go through life there will be lots and lots of boys,” she said with a smile. “Maybe you should move on.”
Dawn jumped up from the chair. “No there won’t. There is only one,” she cried as she ran from the kitchen to her room.
Mildred sat at the table for several minutes. She needed to be firm on this matter. Her daughter's safety was more important than some boyfriend. She hated to upset Dawn, but there was no choice to be made. In her mind the relationship needed to end.
She noticed a head peaking around the door frame.
“Can I come in?” Gary asked softly.
“Yes, of course,” Mildred sighed.
“Mom, you know that Tommy and I never hit it off,” he said as he sat down.
“Yes, I always thought and hoped that you two would become friends. Maybe that would have made a difference.”
“Well, I don’t know him that well. But I do know one thing,” Gary said with a serious tone.
Mildred raised one eyebrow.
“And that is?” she asked.
“There is more to this story. Dawn says it makes no sense to her. I thought about this a lot today. You know I hung around with Torbin for a while. I know David pretty well and I know what he is capable of doing. He had to have done something to provoke that attack. There are so many different stories going around school, I don’t know what to believe.”
Mildred looked at her son and said nothing.
“I think Dawn has a point,” he said with a smile.
Mildred thought for a moment. “Well, point or not,” Mildred paused. “Your father and I are not going to let her see that boy again. Period.”
“Mom, please think about it. Dawn will be crushed if she can’t see Tommy. Can’t we trust her judgment? She’s a smart, levelheaded kid.”
Mildred sighed. “Under normal circumstances, I would say yes. But your sister is not thinking clearly. This boy is bad news, and I do not think it’s wise for her to see him anymore.”
“Mom, I am not trying to argue the point. Really, I’m not. I know it’s your decision. I am just asking you to keep an open mind. Let's see what happens.”
Mildred smiled at her son. She was amazed that her son would be sticking up for a kid that he hardly knew and didn’t even like. She had never seen him this passionate about a subject before.
She knew that Gary loved his little sister more than anything. He was serious about his feelings.
But she also knew she had to stay firm on the matter at hand.
“Gary, I wish I could. I just can’t take that chance. I will not risk the possibility that Tommy would hurt your sister. The matter is closed.”
Gary got up and started to leave the room. As he reached the doorway, he turned around.
“She’s already hurting, mom. She’s hurting real bad. This is her first crush. Tommy’s her first real boyfriend. She's having a hard time understanding and dealing with all of this. Please, go easy on her.”
Then he left the room, leaving his mother to ponder the conversation.
CHAPTER
TWENTY – THE SENTENCE
Tommy hung low for a few days. As instructed, he only left his room to use the bathroom.
Occasionally George would peak in Tommy's room and chuckle at him.
Every evening Tommy could hear his mother and father talking in low tones. He knew they were trying to decide on what his punishment should be. He had not heard from Dawn.
After a few days, he saw Dawn from his window walking up the street towards his house. A moment later he heard the doorbell ring. He waited with great anticipation thinking that Dawn had come to see him. No one came to his bedroom door. Soon he saw Dawn walking back to her house. She turned around and saw him looking out of the window. She waved to him, and that made him feel better. He could see her rubbing her eyes. He knew she was crying.
About an hour later, George appeared in the doorway. “Hey dork, your girlfriend was here to see you. Too bad mom told her no. You're never going to see her again.” He laughed as he turned and left.
Tommy thought he was going crazy. He thought about crawling out of the window in the middle of the night just to go for a walk. But he was afraid of getting caught and making matters worse.
George did tell him that David had suffered a dislocated finger, a broken toe, and a black eye.
John had to pay the doctor bills. John was able to convince David's parents not to get the police involved.
“You really nailed him,” George laughed as he turned and left the room.
It was the nicest thing his brother ever said to Tommy.
John and Margaret never looked in on Tommy or spoke to him during this time. They had George bring him his meals. George enjoyed his role as Tommy's jailer. If Tommy walked down the hall to use the bathroom, no one spoke to him. It was the lowest Tommy had ever felt.
He read all of his books. Reading and looking out the window was his life during this time.
He gazed out his window for hours at a time, all the while thinking about how much he wanted to go back home to Pennsylvania.
Although George had removed his radio and record player, he forgot about the small transistor set Tommy had in his desk. It lasted a couple of days before the battery died.
The only time he was allowed to leave his room was when the school sent over a substitute teacher with his final exams. He sat at the dining room table while the teacher watched him take his tests.
Late one Sunday afternoon, George brought him his dinner. “I made your favorite, warmed up sauerkraut,” George laughed. He knew Tommy hated sauerkraut. As he sat the tray on Tommy's desk, he looked at Tommy with a huge smile and started to laugh.
“Enjoy your last supper dork.” He was still laughing as he walked down the hall. Tommy dumped his dinner in the waste basket.
Tommy knew something was up, so he sat on the bed and waited. He knew it was time, and he was glad. He had been in his room for what seemed to be forever. He knew summer school was in the offering, and he would probably be grounded for the whole summer. He ached to see Dawn again.
An hour later he heard his mother and father come home. They had been gone for most of the day. His mother appeared in the doorway. Her eyes were red from crying.
“Son, please come into the living room,” she said.
Tommy walked into the living room without saying a word. He sat on the sofa and looked at his father. George was nowhere to be seen.
Tommy waited for him to speak.
“Thomas Curtis,” he said firmly. Calling him by his full name worried Tommy. 'This is going to be worse than I thought,' he said to himself.
“For the past two weeks, your mother and I have been deciding on what we should do with you.”
Tommy looked up at his father as he continued to speak.
“Ever since we moved here, you have been a problem. We have tried to deal with it and steer you in the right direction like George, but obviously we have failed.”
“So, since we cannot seem to do the job, we have found someone who can.”
Tommy looked first at his father then at Margaret. He did not understand.
“My old college roommate is the headmaster at a boarding school in Charleston, West Virginia,” John said. “I called him the day after you got expelled and we had a long talk. For some strange reason, he seems to think he can help your sorry ass out.” John paused staring at his son intently. “I sent him your school records and he has agreed to admit you on a trial basis. Summer school starts in a few days. So, tomorrow morning, your mother is taking you downtown to the bus station. You will board a bus to Charleston. You will attend summer school and the next school year at Briarwood Academy. We will decide about High School later. There will be no discussion on this.”
Tommy was stunned. He never expected to be sent away. He looked at his mother and she was crying.
John continued looking directly at Tommy.
“Your mother and I have been out shopping for some of the items you will need to take with you. We will deposit spending money in a special Briarwood account for you to use for other things. I will give you some cash to take with you. You will live in a dormitory. You will go to your classes and study. You will stay out of trouble.”
Tommy thought of Dawn and started to protest.
John interrupted. “No son, I don't want to hear it. I said no discussion.”
“I will make you a deal,” he looked sternly at his son. “For every 'A' you get, I will deposit fifty dollars in your school account. For every 'B', I will throw in thirty-five. Maybe that will motivate you to do well.”
Margaret finally spoke. “Tommy, this is for your benefit. You need the help that we can't seem to give you.”
“There is no discussion on this, son.” John said looking at his wife. “Tomorrow morning you go. That's final.”
Tommy could not believe what his father was saying.
“And one more thing,” John added sternly. “Step out of line one time. One fight, one phone call from that school, and I will dump your sorry ass in a Military School. I've already picked one out. It will be years before you see the light of day. You will never see Dawn again. I'll see to it.”
Tommy knew in his heart that he would never see Dawn again. His mind was somewhere between stunned and devastated.
There was a pause, so Tommy spoke up.
“Sir, can I say something now, please?” Tommy pleaded.
“Alright,” his mother replied.
“I'm sorry I'm not the son you wanted. I'm not George, I'm Tommy.” He looked at his father. “But you never understood that, did you?” Tommy fought back the tears. “Not once, during all of this have you ever asked me what happened at that school, and I know why you never asked,” he paused, looking first at his mother, then at John. “Because neither of you give a damn. If you want to banish me from this family and send me away to this prison, I will go. But I will say this. If I go, I will never come back here unless I can see Dawn, although I doubt if she will ever want to see me again. I don't want to be anywhere that I am not wanted.”
John just rolled his eyes.
“I have already talked to Mildred. We both agree that there will be no more of you and Dawn,” Margaret said. “That's done. Finished.”
Tommy looked down at the floor. He wanted to die.
“Someday, you will understand,” Margaret said.
“I understand perfectly,” was Tommy's response as he looked up at his father with a nasty stare.
“One more thing, son,” John said. “Since Briarwood does not allow long hair, we need to give you a haircut.”
Tommy wanted to protest. He loved his long hair. But he knew it would fall on deaf ears. He also knew that getting a haircut was the least of his problems.
John took Tommy down to the basement for his haircut. He had been cutting the boys hair since they were infants. Tommy sat down on his old highchair. It was the perfect height for John to reach his hair. John did the job in silence.
Once, as Tommy started to speak his father told him to “Shut up, I don't want to hear it. I'm not in the mood. The best thing for you to do would be to keep your big mouth shut.”
After the long blond locks had been cut and placed in the wastebasket, Tommy quietly went upstairs. He found his mother in his room packing a large suitcase. A duffel bag was propped up against the dresser. He saw some new clothes, obviously bought by his mother in advance. They had been working on this trip for several days.
He sat on the bed in silence since he did not want to say the wrong thing. Tommy had an idea that Margaret was not one hundred percent in favor of this action, but he also knew she had no choice in the matter.
As she added the last item, and checked it off her list, she turned to Tommy and said, “Time for bed.” Then she left the room.
Tommy put on his pajamas and prepared for his last night at home.
As he was about to crawl into bed, he noticed that George was standing in the doorway. He was smiling from ear to ear.
“So, Dork,” he said with a nod. “I hear they're sending you away, huh? Finally going to get some peace and quiet around here,” he laughed.
Tommy walked over to him. George had forgotten that Tommy had grown a couple of inches. Tommy was almost as tall as his older brother.
“Someday, when we are both old and gray,” Tommy said glaring at George. “When Mom and Dad are long dead and buried, you are going to wonder why your little brother never calls you, never comes and visits. When that time comes, I want you to think back to this moment, this day in time, and this conversation. Then you will know the reason. Because you and I,” Tommy stopped and glared at his older brother for a second, “we're through.” Then he reached for the door.
“Now get the hell out of my face,” Tommy said as he slammed the door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE – FAREWELL MUNCIE JUNE 7, 1965
Naturally, Tommy did not sleep much that night. His stomach was in knots and his hands were shaking. He was scared to death of what lie ahead.
About three o'clock he got out of bed. Turning on his desk lamp, he searched his desk for a piece of paper. Finding some paper, he wrote a farewell note to Dawn.
Dearest Dawn,
I am so sorry for what I have done. I tried really hard to fit in at that school, and always wanted to do the right thing. But for some reason, no matter what I did, it was never good enough. Not good enough for my teachers, my parents, or your brother. I could not take it any longer.
I will not go into detail about what happened. All I ask is that you not believe everything that you hear. I will only say that I must now deal with the consequences of my actions.
You are the only bright spot in my life, and I am sorry for what I have put you through. You are the only one in this sorry place who believed in me. You deserved so much more than what I gave you.
I will understand if you never want to see me again. I probably deserve that.
You will always be in my thoughts.
I will miss you more than you will ever know.
Love,
Tommy
After sealing the note in an envelope, he wrote Dawn's name on the outside. He then put the note in his knapsack.
He knew in his heart that this was a goodbye note to Dawn. He was sure she would not be there for him, if and when he was allowed to come home. No teenage girl would wait. He knew their parents would never let them see each other again, and it broke his heart.
Turning off his light, he sat at his desk in the total darkness. He put his head in his hands and cried.
In all his short life he had never felt this alone.
Tommy was still awake when his mother came to get him up at four thirty. While she made his breakfast, he showered and put on the clothes that were laid out for him. John and George did not get up to see him off. Tommy did not care.
It was raining as the car backed out of the driveway. Tommy could see an occasional flash of lightning off in the distance.
They drove to the bus station in total silence. All he could hear was the whish whish as the wipers went back and forth cleaning the rain from the windshield.
Tommy looked out of the window of the Chevrolet as Margaret drove up Purdue Avenue, then turned onto Wheeling. He continued to be silent. He watched aimlessly as they drove past the nice homes making their way toward downtown Muncie. As they passed the County Fairgrounds, Tommy realized that he would not be taking Dawn to the County Fair this summer. He would be serving his sentence in a West Virginia prison. He knew he would not be taking Dawn anywhere, ever again. Tears cascaded down his face. The sun was rising in the east. They were approaching the High Street Bridge.
Crossing the river, they turned right onto North Franklin Street. Within minutes, they were pulling into the bus station.
Not a word had been spoken during the ten-minute ride.
The bus was scheduled to leave promptly at six, and they were loading luggage as Margaret drove up. Tommy got the suitcase, duffel bag, and knapsack out of the car while Margaret talked to the driver. Soon they were ready to go. Tommy had taken the note out of his knapsack.
“Mom, can you do me just one favor?” he asked.
Margaret could not hold back the tears anymore, so all she could do was to nod her head 'yes'.
Tommy handed her the note. “Please give this to Dawn for me.” Now Tommy was fighting back the tears.
Margaret grabbed her son and gave him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She told him to be a 'good boy' and put Tommy's note in her purse. She could not control her tears.
The bus driver signaled for Tommy to get on board. It was time to go.
“I'll say goodbye to your father and George for you,” Margaret said to Tommy.
Tommy was already at the bottom step on the bus. He stopped and turned around and looked at his mother.
“Don't bother mother, they won't care. Frankly, neither do I,” and Tommy disappeared into the Greyhound coach.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO – THE LONG RIDE
Tommy glanced at the driver. He was dressed all in blue and his name tag said, 'Roy Barry'.
Tommy started towards the rear of the bus when the Roy spoke up.
“Son,” he said with a huge smile. “Since you are underage and traveling alone, why don't you sit up here.” He pointed to the front row just behind the door.
Tommy was not in the mood to argue, and he figured his mother had asked the driver to keep an eye on him. So, he sat down next to the window. As he looked out, he could see Margaret standing in the parking lot in the light rain. She was still crying. She waved at Tommy one last time.
A few minutes later, Tommy heard the bus engine come to life. He felt a vibration and the vehicle started to move. The steering wheel seemed to be huge in Mr. Barry's hands as he guided the bus out of the parking lot.
The bus was not crowded, and Tommy was the only one sitting up front. He sat in silence.
As they left the south side of town, Tommy leaned his head on the window. He could not look back. He gazed out and noticed that the sun was about to peak out from the clouds. The weather was clearing up to the east. The driver could see that Tommy was crying.
“Son,” he said. “Whatever it is, it will be OK.”
“No sir, I am afraid it won't,” Tommy replied, looking at the driver.
Roy could sense that Tommy did not want to engage in small talk, so he left the boy alone and concentrated on his driving.
By the time the bus was on the outskirts of Dayton, Ohio Tommy had calmed down. The rain had stopped, and the sun was shining. Tommy opened his knapsack, pulled out a book and soon was lost in Agatha Christie's 'Death In The Air. '
Tommy read for a few minutes then realized the irony. He was reading Agatha Christie when he came to Indiana. Here he was eighteen months later, reading Agatha Christie as he was leaving. He wanted to smile, but a smile would not come to his lips.
Soon the bus pulled into the Dayton Ohio station. Roy announced they would be there for thirty minutes if anyone wanted to stretch their legs. There was a diner across the street for anyone who was hungry.
Tommy looked around the area. A thought came to him that he could get off the bus and run. No one was watching him. It would be so easy to just disappear.
Then he realized that he had nowhere to go and nowhere that he could hide. How would he survive? He was only fourteen years old, and not ready for the outside world.
Tommy sighed. He had no choice but to see where this journey would take him.
Tommy stayed on the bus and continued to read. He paid no attention to the few people who got on the bus.
Tommy felt the bus move as it started to leave. He glanced up from his book and noticed a gentleman now sitting across the aisle.
He seemed to be in his mid-thirties and was nicely dressed. He wore large, black-rimmed glasses that reminded Tommy of Buddy Holly. His dark hair was cut short. Tommy glanced at the man.
He smiled at Tommy and said, “Hello, young man.”
Tommy tried to smile back. “Hello,” he said.
“So, where are you off to this fine morning.”
Tommy looked down at the floor and said, “Prison, sir. I am going to prison.”
The man laughed and exclaimed, “Son, this bus goes nowhere near a prison.”
“It does for me,” was Tommy's response.
Tommy returned to his book. Occasionally he would stare out of the window.
About thirty minutes later, the man got up from his seat and pointed to the seat next to Tommy.
“May I?” he asked.
Tommy motioned for him to sit down.
“My name is Stephen Kremer,” he said as he sat down and extended his hand to Tommy.
Tommy accepted the hand. “Nice to meet you Mr. Kremer, I'm Tommy Andrews.”
“Well Mr. Tommy Andrews, tell me about this prison and why you are going there.”
“It's a real long story Mr. Kremer and no one cares.” Tommy's smile was gone.
Stephen looked at Tommy, “I would like to hear about it,” he smiled then looked around the bus. “And we seem to have some time to kill. It might make you feel better to talk about it.”
Tommy relented. “I got in trouble at school and my father is sending me to some hick boarding school in the back woods of West Virginia.”
Stephen smiled. “So, what was your big offense that got you sent away?”
Tommy looked up at Stephen. He had never said it out loud.
“I hit a teacher,” Tommy said, hanging his head.
“Why would you do something like that son. You don't look like the type,” he said with amazement.
“Well, he grabbed me by the ears, and it hurt.”
Stephen was not sure where this story was going, but knew he needed to hear more of the story. “OK, why did he grab you?” he asked.
“You see, I was beating this kid up, and Mr. Mong, the teacher was behind me. He tried to pull me off by the ears. I didn't know it was a teacher, honest. I was just reacting to the pain. I was defending myself.”
Tommy looked up at Stephen, he did not understand why he was telling this story to a total stranger.
He had to ask, “So why were you fighting?”
Tommy continued. “Dave Torbin is the school bully. He made my life and my friend Howard's life miserable for months and months. Over the last year or so, we've gotten into a couple of fights. He and two of his friends jumped me one day and beat me up pretty good. They got off with no punishment, and I got grounded for a month. One day he was bullying a crippled girl in the hall at school. She was scared to death. I could see it in her eyes. I couldn't take it. He was mocking her limp and touching her, you know, her chest.” Tommy blushed.
Stephen was amazed. He removed his glasses, raised one eyebrow and looked at Tommy.
“Son, are you telling me that you were sent away to a boarding school for trying to protect a fellow student from an assault by another student? Plus, you were assaulted by a teacher?”
Tommy looked again at Mr. Kremer.
“Yep, that's why.”
“Tommy, no teacher or any other adult for that matter should have grabbed you in that manner. I am not saying you were right in hitting him. That was also wrong,” he paused. Your teachers, parents, and principal did not understand why you did it?” he asked.
“Nope.” Tommy said firmly. “They never asked what happened. I didn't tell them because I didn't want what happened to Denise to get around school. I got expelled for the rest of the year and would have been on probation next year.”
“And what happened to this bully?” he asked.
Tommy replied, “Well, other than a black eye, broken toe and a dislocated finger, nothing.”
Tommy then smiled. “He's going to have a hard time pointing at people for a while,” Tommy added.
Stephen Kremer laughed harder than he had in months.
“Tommy, if you don't mind, I would love to hear your story from the beginning.” He was still laughing.
Tommy normally did not talk to strangers. But for the second time in his life, someone was asking him to tell his story. No one had ever done that before, except Dawn.
Tommy talked the rest of the way to Columbus, and most of the way to Parkersburg. Mr. Kremer listened intently and asked a few questions as the story unfolded. Tommy had never talked like this, but for some strange reason he felt comfortable with this man. Someone was finally listening. He did not judge or condemn Tommy for his actions.
Mr. Kremer could tell that Tommy had some issues built up inside that of him, that he needed to get off his chest. He sat and listened as Tommy continued.
Tommy talked about moving to Indiana, and all the bullying he went through. He talked about his father and brother and the school he hated. He was honest about his grades and how they suffered. He talked on and on about Dawn and how much she meant to him, and that he'd let her down.
“I fooled them all too,”
"How's that?” Mr. Kremer asked.
Tommy smiled. "They sent a substitute teacher over to the house to give me my final exams. I aced them all."
Tommy talked more about his grades and how he hated to participate in class, and rarely did his homework. He explained that after he was expelled, all he did was read. Since he ran out of books, he decided to read his textbooks.
Stephen knew that Tommy's problem was part attitude and part his surroundings.
Finally, Tommy said, “And that Mr. Kremer is my sad life story.” Stephen noticed one small tear in Tommy's eye.
Mr. Kremer looked at Tommy and folded his arms across his chest. He thought for a moment.
“Tommy, let me give you some free advice.” He paused to make sure Tommy was paying attention.
“This school you are going to may be the best thing to ever happen to you. Don't think of it as a prison. You will get what you make of it. Nothing more, nothing less. You will be responsible for what happens to you.”
Tommy nodded his understanding.
“You have been dealt a bad hand. No question about it. It may be wrong, and it may be unfair. But it is what it is. Your father sounds like he has real anger issues, and from what you tell me you might be better off in a boarding school.” For the first time in weeks, Tommy smiled.
“But you have to realize, you cannot change people, you can only change yourself,” Mr. Kremer paused. “And this may hurt, but it's time you realize that you need to stop feeling so sorry for yourself.” Tommy looked at him with questions and some hurt in his eyes.
“Yes, I said stop feeling sorry for yourself and move on. Take control of your life. Do well for yourself, not for your parents. Realize that you are responsible for your own actions, no one else.” He smiled at Tommy as he paused.
“When you succeed, you get the credit, when you fail, you get the blame,” he paused. “Make this school work for you, no one else. Show people that they are all wrong about you. Only you can do that, no school, parent, or teacher can do that for you. Show that young lady you like so much that she is right about you,” he smiled. “And I think you can do it.”
They were pulling into Parkersburg. “One more thing,” Stephen said. “This girl sounds special.” Tommy smiled broadly as he thought of Dawn.
“Don't mess it up.” He smiled back at Tommy.
“Long distance relationships are hard, and normally do not work out.” Tommy frowned when he heard those words.
“But some do. My wife and I did it. We were childhood sweethearts when she moved away in ninth grade. I was devastated for weeks. But we wrote, we visited, then we went to college together.” He smiled thinking of those times.
“I don't know Mr. Kremer,” Tommy sighed. “I can't imagine that Dawn will wait for me. That makes me sad.” He looked down at the floor.
“Tommy, from what you tell me about this girl,” Mr. Kremer smiled at his new friend, “I cannot imagine that she won't wait for you. So don't give up.” He smiled at Tommy.
All of a sudden Tommy felt better. He was afraid of his new situation but was no longer mad.
“I won't sir. I promise.” He smiled at Mr. Kremer.
Soon the bus was stopping at the Parkersburg terminal. Stephen Kremer got up and extended his hand to Tommy.
“This is my stop,” he said as he shook Tommy's hand.
“It has been a real pleasure meeting you, Tommy. I am sure we will see each other again. Until then, remember what I told you, and welcome to West Virginia. Don't worry, Charleston is a wonderful city, nowhere near being in the back woods. They have running water and indoor plumbing,” he said with a chuckle. “I think you are going to love it there.”
“I'll remember, Mr. Kremer. Thank you for listening. All my life, no one other than Dawn has ever listened to me.” Another tear came to Tommy's eyes.
“Good luck son, I have a feeling this is all going to work out just fine. Trust me,” he said with a smile as he patted Tommy on the shoulder.
Stephen Kremer got off the bus and was met by an attractive lady. 'Must be his wife', Tommy thought. He then realized that he had done all the talking and did not know anything about this nice man. What a shame he thought, 'I shouldn't have talked so much.' But it felt so good to get this off his chest. He watched as Mr. Kremer and his wife went into the terminal.
He did not see Mr. Kremer go to the phone booth, put in his dime, and dial the phone.
Tommy was lost in thought as the bus left Parkersburg and headed for Charleston. The mountains reminded him of Western Pennsylvania only they were much larger. He never liked the flatness of Indiana. It seemed like the mountains were touching the sky.
He thought about what his new friend had told him. Mr. Kremer was right. He was feeling sorry for himself and always blamed other people for his problems.
He made a solemn vow that he would never cry again. He would spite them all and do well.
The bus pulled into Charleston's terminal and people prepared to disembark. Tommy was the last one to leave.
As he prepared to exit, the bus driver looked at him.
“Son, I overheard part of your story,” he said. “I pray that you find the happiness and contentment that you deserve.”
“Thank you, sir. I hope so too,” Tommy said as he walked down the steps into the warm West Virginia summer.
PART
TWO - A NEW BEGINNING
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE – A PHONE CALL FROM PARKERSBURG
As the bus was winding its way from Parkersburg to Tommy's new life in Charleston, Stephen Kremer was having a long telephone conversation with Ray Ethridge, the Headmaster at Briarwood Academy.
“Ray, this is one interesting youngster you've decided to help,” Stephen said with a laugh.
“Really?” Raymond asked. “Do you think I made a mistake taking him on?”
“No, not at all Ray. He seems like a fine young boy who got caught up in a bad and crazy situation. In fact, we might be doing him a huge favor. I liked him immediately. He is not at all like a boy that would get expelled for fighting. He tells an interesting story.” Stephen said.
“Steve, I looked at his records. His I Q is literally off the charts. There simply is no explanation for his bad grades. So it is not a lack of intelligence. It has got to be his surroundings,” he said. “I just hope he isn't too far behind in his studies.”
“I came to the same conclusions, Ray. Did his father tell you the reason that Tommy was expelled?”
“Yes, he told me that Thomas was fighting with a boy in the hallway, then he hit a teacher. I talked to the principal at the school. He gave me the same story. Lots of fighting, poor attitude. He made it sound like this kid was pure evil.”
“But did they tell you that Tommy was defending a young, crippled girl who was being assaulted by the boy he beat up?”
“No, I didn't get to hear that part of the story.” Ray was more than surprised.
“Did they tell you that Tommy had been bullied since the first day he arrived at that school?” Stephen asked. “And for the most part was just defending himself?”
Ray Ethridge took a deep breath.
“No, I didn't get that part of the story either. There must be a whole lot more to it than we know,” he sighed.
“Yes, Tommy and I talked for a couple of hours. Actually, he talked, and I listened,” Steve laughed. “This young man is deeply troubled. But it's his home life that I think is the cause. As well as his being bullied so much,” Stephen paused. “The one thing I worry about is he seems to have this huge chip on his shoulder. I think we need to be very careful here. We need to work on it a little bit at a time. If we get him with the right kids, I'll bet the attitude problem will go away. Choosing the right roommate will be critical.”
“Don't worry Steve, I have that part all figured out. I can't say much until I meet and talk to young Mr. Andrews.”
“Well, I'm sure you know what you're doing.” Steve laughed.
“This is not going to be easy Steve. I agree with you that we need to bring this boy along slowly. I will know more after he completes the pretesting. Would you mind proctoring those tests tomorrow? Since he already knows you, it might put him more at ease.”
Stephen Kremer thought for a moment.
“Tell you what Ray, I'll be happy to guide him through the tests,” he paused. “If you put him in my American History class.”
Ray laughed. “That sounds like a good deal to me. I'll definitely consider it. But I want to meet him before I make any decisions on a course of action.”
“Ray, I watched him read before I approached him. He reads faster than any kid I have ever seen. If he retains what he reads there is no reason he should not be an “A” student. In fact, he told me he aced his finals, just to spite them all.”
“That says a lot Steve. His father is an old friend of mine. I don't normally stick my neck out this far, but I would like to see his son do well.”
“I have this feeling,” Stephen said. “This may be a special young man. If we handle it right, I think he may surprise all of us.”
“I am shocked at the way the school in Muncie handled this whole mess. I talked to the principal, and frankly he scared the hell out of me.” Ethridge said. “He honestly did not seem to understand the inner workings of the teenage mind. Did Thomas go into any details about the last incident?”
“Yes, he described it in great detail. That's what bothers me. The school should have let him explain. He told me that the school was not interested in why it happened, just in what had happened. According to Tommy, they never asked why,” he paused. “And neither did his parents. There was positively no reason to expel that boy. They should have given him a medal.”
“Interesting,” Ray commented.
“The story he tells is that this kid was making fun of a girl's limp and then he grabbed her breasts. He said he wanted to play with them and see if they were real. The poor girl was scared out of her mind. Tommy said he had to do something.”
“That is almost unbelievable. The girl never came forward?” Raymond asked.
“I don't think so. But think about it. She's probably too scared to say anything. Obviously, this school only believes certain students. Tommy told me of an incident on the school bus shortly after he moved there. Some kid actually tried to strangle him. The principal accused Tommy of making up the whole story. He believed the lies these other kids told,” Stephen said.
“If it had been me, I would have screamed from the highest mountain top why I did it,” Raymond said.
“Me too Ray. But this kid seems to be very protective of his friends. He told me he didn't volunteer the information about what went on in the hallway because he didn't want everyone to know what happened to the girl. He was trying to protect her. And he figured that no one would believe him.”
“Simply amazing. The boy that tried to strangle him got away with it?” Raymond asked.
“No, Tommy took care of it,” Stephen paused. “He broke the kids nose.”
“He did?” Ray said in wonderment.
“Ray, there is something else you need to know,” Stephen said softly.
“And that is?” he asked.
“This young man is scared to death. He's petrified. I could see it in his face and hear it in his voice. His whole world has been turned upside down. He feels that his family has abandoned him. He has issues with his father and older brother. Tommy told me that he expected to be punished, but never dreamed that he would be sent away. Seems he is hung up on a neighbor girl. He says she won't be there for him after what happened. He thinks he is going to a 'prison'. We all need to tread carefully here Ray. Very very carefully. He is right on the edge.”
Raymond thought for a moment. “I think that rather than just picking him up and taking him to the dormitory, perhaps a short walking tour of the downtown area would be in order. I'll show him around and try to put him at ease. Then we'll have dinner and a long talk.”
“That's a good idea Ray. I know he got on that bus at six this morning and hasn't eaten anything all day.”
“Stephen, I cannot thank you enough for doing this today. Please thank Carol for me as well. It was a stroke of luck that you were still in Dayton visiting her folks. I think we've taken the first step in helping this young man.”
“Glad to do it Ray. I know you are going to have the same reaction to this boy that I had. As Steve Allen says, 'this could be the start of something big.'”
“Or a disaster,” Ray said calmly. “Do me one more favor. Can you meet me at the Quarrier Diner in the morning at six? Breakfast is on me. I would like to hear more before we start the pretesting. I may have more questions for you after I meet this young man.”
“Sure Ray, be glad to. I'll see you at six.”
Ray Ethridge hung up his phone. It would be a while before the bus from Parkersburg arrived. And Ray needed some more time to think and continue to formulate a plan for this student.
Ray hoped he wasn't making a huge mistake.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – WEST VIRGINIA AND CHARLESTON
West Virginia did not become a state in the same manner as the rest of the states.
As war was about to break out between the North and the South, the North controlled Charleston and most of the western parts of Virginia. Virginia had already seceded from the Union, so the northern control of this area posed a serious problem.
Many in the northern controlled area wanted statehood for themselves. So, amid the horrors of a civil war, West Virginia became the 35th state on June 20, 1863, by way of a Presidential Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln.
When West Virginia became a state, Wheeling was chosen as the state capitol. For six years officials failed to fund a new capitol building so in 1869, the city of Charleston offered the state $50,000 to move the capitol to Charleston. On April 1, 1870, Charleston became the second state capitol. The following year a new Capitol building was completed on Capitol Street between Lee and Washington Street.
The capitol's stay in Charleston was short lived. Even with a new capitol building, the city's muddy roads and lack of hotels caused officials to vote in 1875 to return the Capitol back to it's
first location in Wheeling.
Tired of moving back and forth between two cities, state officials offered a referendum to choose a final site for the state capitol. On August 7, 1877, Charleston was chosen to become the permanent state capitol beginning in 1885. Charleston thus became the fourth state capitol and the population tripled.
Modern manufacturing moved in. Kelly Axe and Tool opened in 1905 on the west side. Libby-Owens sheet glass plant and bottling works built a plant in the upper South side of Kanahwa City,
Following World War One, Charleston and the surrounding area experienced unprecedented growth as a center of government, banking and commerce. Coal mining, manufacturing and chemical production led the way. The population of Charleston grew. By 1960 almost 86,000 people called Charleston home.
According to a local Charleston legend, on October 10, 1948, Hamlin, WV native and famous test pilot Chuck Yeager flew a F-80 jet under the South Side bridge, did a roll, then flew off.
Yeager did not admit nor deny the rumors. It would be some sixty years before that he would tell the tale of the day that on the spur of the moment, he flew under the South Side Bridge.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE – THE HEADMASTER
Raymond Ethridge met Tommy at the base of the stairs.
“Hello, young man, you must be Tommy Andrews,” he said as he extended his hand.
“Yes sir,” was all Tommy could say.
Tommy was scared. He looked at Mr. Ethridge and wondered what type of man he was. He saw a short stocky man dressed in a tweed three-piece suit. His short gray hair seemed premature based on his age but matched his neatly trimmed beard. His gold rimmed glasses covered his face.
There was a colored gentleman with him dressed in overalls. He was taller than Mr. Ethridge and he smiled at Tommy. He looked to be in his late twenties or early thirties.
“This is Mr. Ingham,” Mr. Ethridge said. “He is our top maintenance man at Briarwood. You need anything fixed, you take it to Fred. He keeps everything 'ship shape' for us.” He looked over at the man. “He is going to take your luggage over to your room.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ingham.” Tommy tried to smile.
They gathered Tommy's luggage and Fred started to leave.
“Fred, make sure they go to room 710, OK,” he called after the man.
Mr. Ingham quickly turned around and gave Mr. Ethridge a strange look. “710 sir? Are you sure?”
Mr. Ethridge smiled back at the man. “Yes Fred, I am sure,” Mr. Ethridge said as he turned to Tommy.
“Before we go to the dormitory, I thought it best we have dinner and talk some.” he said. “You hungry?”
Tommy just nodded his head. He had not eaten anything since breakfast.
“Look son, I know you are scared and probably confused,” he smiled. “But it will be OK, you are going to be fine here.”
“Yes sir,” was all Tommy could say.
Mr. Ethridge led the young boy to the sidewalk on Summers Street. They had not gone far when Mr. Ethridge pointed to a three-story building across the street.
“We have classrooms over in that building across the street, Tommy,” he said.
“Really sir?” Tommy exclaimed as he looked over at the structure.
“Yes, Briarwood Academy is unlike any other school you have ever seen. I will tell you more about our school at dinner,” Mr. Ethridge told the scared youngster as they continued their stroll down Summers Street.
They walked about a half a block then turned onto Lee Street.
Tommy thought the downtown area looked a lot like downtown Muncie, only bigger. It was old yet looked nice and well kept.
“Tommy,” Mr. Ethridge said as they passed another three-story building on Lee Street. “This building is also part of our school. We have two floors of classrooms here.”
Tommy looked up and nodded his head.
When the two reached Capitol Street they turned left. Tommy marveled at all the stores. Stores of all types lined the street.
Soon they reached the tallest building that Tommy had ever seen.
“Tommy, this is the Daniel Boone Hotel,” Mr. Ethridge said. “It's one of many hotels in the city, and it is the nicest. I thought I would take you to a nice restaurant. And this is one of the best.” he said. “You like Italian?” he smiled.
“Yes sir,” Tommy now was smiling. It had been a long day and he was famished.
“Welcome to Vesuvo's Tommy. The best Italian food outside of Italy.”
They walked into the restaurant and soon they were seated. Tommy quietly picked up the menu.
“So young man,” Raymond said, “are you scared?”
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied looking over the top of the menu. “Terrified.”
“Well Tommy, that is normal, so don’t you worry about it. You'll be all right here. I promise.”
The waitress came over. Mr. Ethridge ordered the Veal Parmesan. Tommy wanted his favorite, spaghetti and meatballs.
Mr. Ethridge continued. “But I do want to be honest with you.”
Mr. Ethridge looked into Tommy’s eyes.
“Here at Briarwood, we believe in honesty above all else. Our school creed at Briarwood is, 'On my honor, I will be honest above all things. I will honor the standards of this school. I will not cheat, steal or lie. I will respect my teachers and fellow students at all times. I will be courteous and helpful to strangers. I affirm that everyone is equal, and I am no better than others.' And Tommy, I am afraid we have not been completely honest with you.”
Tommy looked up with a confused look.
“I understand that you met a nice man on the bus,” he said.
“Yes sir, I did. His name was Mr. Kremer.” Tommy replied. “But how did you know about him?”
Then Tommy realized what had happened.
“Tommy,” Raymond continued. “Your parents may have been fine with throwing a fourteen-year-old boy on a bus all by himself for a three-hundred-mile trip, but we weren’t.”
Tommy was amazed, yet he was not mad.
“Mr. Kremer is our history teacher. You will probably be in his class this summer. He was in Dayton visiting his wife's family,” he smiled. “I called him and asked him to get on the bus in Dayton and keep an eye on you.” he said. “Mrs. Kremer followed in their car.”
“I knew once you got on the bus in Muncie, you could not get off until Dayton. So, I had Mr. Kremer waiting at the Dayton stop. He made sure you stayed on the bus and was with you until it pulled out of Parkersburg.” he paused. “And I was waiting for you here.”
Tommy shook his head and smiled.
“Look son, I'll be honest with you. I was not sure if you would try to run, so I wanted to make sure we kept an eye on you.”
Tommy smiled and said, “I see, sir.”
“And you didn't run,” Raymond said. “That is an excellent first step.”
“To be honest sir,” Tommy smiled. “I thought about it but was too scared. Besides, I got nowhere else to go.” Tommy looked down at the table.
"I 'have' nowhere else to go.” Mr. Ethridge corrected him.
“Yes sir,” Tommy said with a smile. “I have nowhere else to go.”
Raymond took a sip of his coffee.
“Tommy, I know some of your story. I talked to Mr. Kremer on the phone before you arrived, and I want to hear the whole thing from you too.” he smiled.
Tommy nodded his head in agreement.
“Mr. Kremer took a liking to you.” Mr. Ethridge said with a smile. “He said you seemed to be a fine young man that got caught up in a messy situation. But before we get into that,” he said. “Let me tell you about Briarwood. Then I have an important question to ask you.”
“Briarwood was founded in 1951, when a group of local and state educators decided they could do a better job of educating young people than the public school system. They purchased a building that was located downtown and slated for demolition. That building, along with an old hotel became Briarwood. The school grew from there. Over the years we have purchased a number of buildings in the downtown area. You have already seen a couple of them. Our administration building also houses classrooms, as does our Industrial Arts building and Gym. Our gym is not big enough for events and such. Since we are getting ready to start the basketball program, the Catholic High School has agreed to let us use their gym for home games. You might see some of their students in some of our senior classes. Our science department is, I am proud to say,” he paused. “Is more advanced than the one at Charleston Catholic, so they send a few of their top students to a few of our classes. We send some of our students over to their school as well. Home Economics for the girls, and French, Latin, and Honors English classes. They also offer Theology classes to our students as well as Drivers Education. It's a great arrangement. Their principal, 'Sister Harriet' has been a real friend to us here at Briarwood.”
Tommy was listening intently as he ate his pasta.
“We have grades eight thru twelve, although most of our students are in nine thru twelve. We have classes all year long. A few years ago, we opened up Briarwood for some local students who attend during the day, but still live at home.”
“Tommy, let me assure you,” He paused. “You will get positively the best education you can get right here. But it is up to you. You will not be bullied here. We do not tolerate it.”
Tommy nodded and said, “Yes sir.”
“About ten years ago, we decided it was time to admit Negro students to our school. It was quite a decision in those days, and I am proud to say we were well ahead of the rest of the country in that respect. It is a long process that we are still to this day working on.”
“In fact,” he continued, “Two years later in 1957, The Charleston schools were finally desegregated, and the Negro only school, Garnet High, was closed. But I am proud to say that we were first.” he paused smiling.
“So, Charleston has their main high school on Washington Street, a Catholic high school on Virginia Street, and Briarwood that is spread out all over the downtown area. You are going to be doing a lot of walking.”
Tommy again nodded and continued eating. It had been a long day, and he was hungry.
“And that young man, brings me to my important question.” he paused.
“And that is, sir?” Tommy said.
“Tommy, over the past ten years we have had many Negro students. They have all done well. But they have always roomed together, studied together, and spent their spare time together.”
Tommy nodded again.
“I think, and our board of directors agrees, that this needs to change.”
Tommy looked up from his dinner.
“Yes, sir.” he said quietly.
“As you know Tommy, your father and I were roommates in college for two years. I think that having the right roommate is a key in building success for any student that is living away from home for the first time. When your father called me, I promised him that I would help you in any way I could, but I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Thank you, Mr. Ethridge, what can I do? I do want to start out on the right foot. Like I said, I 'have' nowhere else to go.” Tommy said with a smile and accenting the word 'have'.
“We have a Negro student who started here last year, but he does not have a roommate. I was hoping we could change that by having you room with him.” Raymond waited for Tommy's reaction.
“So, you want me to room with a colored?” Tommy asked.
“Yes, Tommy, I do. I think you two will hit it off, as they say. But I will not force you. I am asking you. If you would rather not, I can assign you to another room.”
Tommy looked up at the ceiling. He knew his dad would go berserk if he ever found out.
'Serves him right for sending me here.' Tommy thought.
“But I must warn you,” Ethridge continued. “There may be some backlash. This has never been done before.”
Tommy looked at his new Headmaster.
Ethridge felt he knew what was going through Tommy's mind. “I think most students will embrace this, at least those who live here. Some of the day students may pose a problem,” he said. “But I think you two boys will make good roommates and become good friends.”
“Can I ask one question?” Tommy asked.
“Of course, Tommy, remember our school creed, honesty above everything.”
“OK. Did you ask this student how he felt about the idea?
Mr. Ethridge laughed. “Yes, I did, and he asked me the very same question.”
“Well, sir. Then it looks like he has a roommate. If it's OK with him, then I am all for it.”
Tommy smiled for the first time.
“But one thing, sir,” Tommy looked at Mr. Ethridge.
“What's that, son?” he asked.
“Whatever you do, don't ever tell my dad.” Tommy laughed out loud. “I mean it, don't say a word.”
Mr. Ethridge raised one eyebrow. “Really?” he questioned.
Tommy smiled. “Yes sir,” he paused in thought. “Believe me sir. He would not be happy about it.” Tommy paused looking at this new man in his life. It was something he had never said out loud.
“He's a racist, sir.”
Mr. Ethridge registered the surprise.
“Well, I could make other arrangements.” Ray thought perhaps he was about to make a huge mistake.
Tommy answered quickly. “No sir. You do not have to do that, sir. He sent me here and put you in charge. If you think this is a good idea, that's fine with me. Frankly, I don't care what he thinks.” Tommy laid down his fork and pushed his empty plate away.
Ray Ethridge smiled. “Fine son, just fine.”
But a little voice in the back of Raymond's head was talking to him.
'This is going to be an interesting summer.'
CHAPTER
TWENTY-SIX – THE ROOMATE
Since they had finished their dinner, it was time to settle Tommy into the dormitory.
With Tommy's hunger was taken care of, the two started to walk to the dormitory several blocks away.
As they walked back down Capitol Street, Tommy started to feel a bit better. He liked this new man in his life. He was still scared but thought that maybe this prison might be better than the one he had come from.
Soon they reached Quarrier Street. As they were turning left, Mr. Ethridge pointed out several more buildings.
“Over on the right is our gym. It is the only building that we do not rent out the bottom floor. We did extensive renovations in order to have a large gym on the first floor. It is strictly workout rooms, showers, and several gym floors. As I mentioned, any events are held over at Charleston Catholic.” Tommy's headmaster pointed up. “We have three floors of classrooms here, and the library on the top floor.” he said with a smile.
A block later Mr. Ethridge pointed to yet another large building.
“This is our Industrial Arts, Math, and Science building,” he said.
Stores dotted the ground floor.
Tommy looked across the street at another building.
They walked another block and soon were in front of a huge seven story building.
“Tommy, welcome to the Holley Hotel. Let's go meet your roommate.”
“No son,” The Headmaster laughed. “The Holley Hotel opened in 1914 and was named after James A. Holley who at one time was the mayor of Charleston.”
'The Holley' as it was referred to by the students at one time was a popular hotel in downtown Charleston. The school had purchased the hotel after it closed due to lack of business.
“The hotel originally had 225 rooms, but we did some remodeling when we purchased the building in 1958 so now, we have 200 rooms,” Mr. Ethridge continued.
Tommy was amazed at the lobby of this old hotel.
It had a huge entry way. Tommy noticed someone who looked like a student sitting behind what at one time was the registration desk.
“This is Johnny Black. He is a senior. Johnny, this is Tommy Andrews.”
Johnny smiled from behind the desk. “Welcome to Briarwood Tommy. You are going to love it here. If you need anything, just let me or any upperclassmen know. We are all here to help.”
Tommy thought to himself that he would never get that kind of a welcome from an upperclassman at Storer Junior High.
Mr. Ethridge smiled. “We keep an upperclassman on duty until nine each evening. We then have a member of our maintenance crew on duty until five am,” he smiled. “We do have to keep track of our students. If you leave after six pm, you have to check out then check in when you come back. You also check in at the end of each school day before six. Curfew is at nine each night. Except on Friday and Saturday. No exceptions,” he smiled.
Mr. Ethridge continued. “We have the hotel set up in two areas, one for the girls and one for the boys. Floors two three and four are for the girls, and floors five six and seven are for the boys. You are never allowed on floors two three and four. Understand?” he asked his new student with a smile.
Tommy nodded. “Yes sir, no floor two, three, or four for me,” he laughed.
“We do not have locked doors at Briarwood. We believe in
trusting our students. Your classmates will always respect
your right to privacy and your belongings.” he smiled. “Our house mother lives in an apartment off of the lobby. You will meet Mrs.
Miller tomorrow morning at breakfast. We have a cafeteria in
the basement.” he said. “We have a number of meeting rooms on
the first floor that we rent out on occasions, and a huge recreation
room for the students. We
make sure that some upperclassmen
are housed on each floor. They are called 'Floor Managers' and
they keep their eye on things for us.”
Mr. Ethridge led Tommy to the elevator and pushed the button for the seventh floor.
As they reached the top floor, Mr. Ethridge said, “You and Bruce are in 710, right down the hall.”
As they walked down the hall, Tommy thought he heard the faint sounds of Dave Brubeck's 'Take Five'. It got louder as they approached room 710. Mr. Ethridge knocked loudly on the door.
Soon the sound was turned down and the door opened.
Bruce was about the same height as Tommy and about the same build.
He smiled at Mr. Ethridge. “Sorry sir, about the music.” he said.
“That's OK Bruce, I want you to meet Tommy Andrews, your new roommate. Tommy, this is Bruce Walker.”
Tommy extended his hand to Bruce. As they shook hands, Tommy commented.
“I like 'Take Five', but I think the best cut on the album is 'Blue Rondo a la Turk'.”
“And who doesn't?” Tommy replied with a huge smile.
“How about Krupa?” Bruce questioned.
“He's good, but Buddy Rich is better.” Tommy said.
Bruce looked at Tommy. “Are you kidding me?” Bruce shook his head.
Tommy looked at his new roommate. “Do you like Buddy Holly?” he asked.
Bruce got a strange look on his face and replied. “Buddy who?”
Tommy rolled his eyes and laughed. He knew immediately he was going to like this kid.
“You know, Buddy Holly. Plane crash? Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper?” Tommy said. “The saddest day in the history of Rock and Roll?”
“Man, first thing we gotta do is to find a record store.” Tommy said with a laugh.
Mr. Ethridge smiled. Tommy noticed that his bags were on the bed. He realized that Mr. Ethridge had Mr. Ingham bring them up to the room before he asked Tommy about rooming with Bruce. Mr. Ethridge knew he would say yes. Tommy smiled.
“Tommy, I will leave you to unpack and get acquainted with Bruce.” he paused.
“Bruce, can you bring Tommy over to my office in the morning at eight?” he asked. “We have to get some testing done and get him all set up for the summer term. He has a long day tomorrow.”
“Yes sir Mr. Ethridge, he'll be there, I promise.” Bruce said.
“Get to bed early Tommy, you've had a long day.”
Tommy smiled and looked at Mr. Ethridge, “Thank you sir, I will.”
As Mr. Ethridge left, he could hear the boys talking about jazz. They seemed to be discussing the merits of Big Bands versus real Jazz. 'This may work out just fine,' he thought.
As he walked down the hall to the elevator, he could not control his smile.
After Mr. Ethridge left, Tommy started to unpack.
The room was old but well maintained and decorated. There was a desk and a bed on each side. The room had a single window between the beds. Tommy walked over and looked out.
They were on the side of the building and had a nice view of the roof of the building next door.
“Not much of a view,” he commented.
The other end of the room held two closets, both sides of the room were identical. The door to the hallway was in the middle.
“Hope you don't mind that side of the room,” Bruce laughed.
The room was small but looked comfortable. Each student had his own closet. It was small and reminded Tommy of his closet back in Pennsylvania.
“You'll get used to the cramped quarters Tommy,” Bruce laughed. “We spend most of our time at school, the library or sitting at our desks studying.”
“It's kinda nice,” Tommy replied. In his mind, Tommy was already thinking how he could use this small space.
“There is a nice recreation room down on the first floor,” Bruce said. “We have a pool table, ping pong table, games, and even a color TV set.”
Tommy smiled.
“Only thing is, we have to share it all with three hundred and ninety-eight other students,” he laughed.
Tommy thought, 'that's not gonna work. May have to do something about that.'
Soon Bruce was helping Tommy unpack.
While they were unpacking, they started to tell each other about themselves and their family.
Tommy learned that Bruce was from Morgantown, where his dad was an attorney and his mother taught English and American Literature at The West Virginia University. Bruce had a younger sister named Susan.
Soon Bruce knew Tommy's life history. Tommy left out the part about his dad being a racist.
Bruce would learn that soon enough.
As Tommy was finishing his life story there was a knock at the door.
“Open up Bruce, we need to welcome the new guy.” A voice boomed from the hallway.
Bruce opened the door and there stood five boys, all Tommy's age. They ranged in height from five feet four inches to six feet tall. They had long hair, short hair, red hair, blond hair and all the colors in between.
“Hi, we're the welcome wagon,” one boy said with a huge smile.
“Come on in guys, meet Tommy Andrews.” Bruce said.
One boy walked up to Tommy with his hand extended.
“Hello Mr. Andrews, I am Ray Tallman, my friends call me Ray. Everyone else calls me Mr. Tallman.”
“Hello Ray, call me Tommy.” Tommy smiled.
Soon, introductions were made all around. Tommy met Jeffery Fullerton, Carlos Canter, Jeremy Nelson and David Elwood.
It was Carlos who asked, “So Tommy, you must have a million questions.”
“A few,” Tommy said. He looked over at David's long hair. “I was told that Briarwood did not allow long hair.”
David smiled, “They don't care, as long as you keep it neat and clean.”
“And out of your eyes,” Jeremy added.
“So, who told you that long hair was forbidden, Tommy?” asked Carlos.
“My dad,” was Tommy's reply.
“Sounds to me like ole' dad just wanted you to get a haircut,” and they all, including Tommy laughed.
So, more questions and answers followed. Soon the group knew Tommy's story and why he was there. Tommy explained that he didn't want any secrets. It felt good for Tommy to tell the story. Except he left out the part about Denise. He just was not used to people actually listening.
“So,” Carlos said. “You are leaving everything behind and starting fresh?”
“Yes, I am” he replied.
“Well, I for one have a small problem,” Ray said. “We already have a Tommy here, so we can't call you Tommy. What's your middle name?”
“Curtis,” Tommy replied.
“Well, Tommy Curtis, I don't like the name Curtis. No offense, the name reminds me of my stepfather,” he paused in thought. “So, from now on,” he smiled. “You will be known as T.C.”
Carlos said, “Yes, T.C. It is.”
And the whole group welcomed T.C. Andrews to Briarwood.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN – BREAKFAST AT BRIARWOOD
Tommy slept better that night than he had in months, perhaps better than before he moved to Indiana.
Bruce rousted him out of bed at five thirty. “C'mon Tommy, it's a new day and we got lots to do” he said as he shook the sleeping Tommy.
“Alright already, I'm up,” said the sleepy-eyed newcomer.
When the school bought the hotel most of the bathrooms were removed in order to make the rooms larger. They then took three rooms on each floor and turned them into one huge walk-in shower and bath that the students all shared.
Bruce explained that each floor was set up in the same manner.
After a quick shower, Tommy was ready for the day. He and Bruce went downstairs for breakfast. Tommy's new friends from the evening before met them at the elevator.
A matronly lady that reminded Tommy of 'Aunt Bea' on that popular TV show 'Andy Griffith', greeted the group at the cafeteria door.
“Well, good morning my young charges,” she bellowed in a booming voice.
“Good morning, Mother Miller,” the boys said almost in unison.
"And what do we have here?” she asked as she looked at Tommy. She put her hands on her hips and looked over Tommy from top to bottom. She had a huge smile on her face.
Bruce did the introductions. “Mother Miller, may I present to you direct from Muncie Indiana, Mr. Thomas Curtis Andrews the first. We have decided to call him T.C. for short.” he explained.
“Good morning T.C., and welcome to my home. I hope you like living here with us.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Miller,” Tommy replied.
“Please young man. I have not been a Mrs. since my dear Ted was killed in the 'Great War'. Please call me Mother Miller.”
“Yes ma’am, I will,” said Tommy.
“And T.C.,” she continued. “We will talk later and get to know each other. In the meantime, if you have any problems or questions, you come see me, OK?” She winked at the young man.
“I will Mother Miller, thank you,” Tommy said.
“OK boys, get your young tushes in there and have a good breakfast. Remember it's the most important meal of the day,” she said as she pointed to the cafeteria.
As the group of boys walked into the cafeteria, Carlos whispered into Tommy's ear. “Don't worry T. C., you'll get used to her.”
Tommy had a big smile on his face. “I like her,” he exclaimed.
David Elwood chimed in the conversation.
“Mother Miller takes great care of us. She keeps a close eye on us and if we start to step across the line, BAM, she is on us.” he laughed.
“Yeah,” Jeremy added. “And some of us need 'Bam', more than others.”
All the boys got a chuckle out of that comment.
On one side of the cafeteria breakfast was laid out. Tommy had his choice of scrambled eggs, or cereal.
Jeremy explained to Tommy. “Tomorrow is Pancake Day. Thursday is fried egg day, Friday is waffle day, Monday is French toast day and today is scrambled egg day. Might be kind of boring, but you get used to it. Of course, you can have cereal every day and they have a great selection.”
“So,” Tommy asked. “What about weekends? Do we starve?”
Jeremy laughed, “No, we just have cereal on weekends. Of course, there's the Quarrier Diner right next door,” he explained. “Sometimes we break the bank and go there for a feast,” Jeremy said.
Meals in hand, the boys all sat down. The cafeteria was not
crowded, as school did not start until the next day. Many of
the students arrived Sunday or Monday to prepare for the summer term. The rest would arrive on this day.
Soon
more of the students came in for breakfast. Word of Tommy's arrival
had spread through the
ranks quickly. Soon several teenage girls surrounded the boys.
“Come on Walker, we heard you finally got a roommate. So, introduce us to this nice gentleman,” said the leader of the group, Sherri Hawkins.
So, the introductions were made. Tommy met Sherri Hawkins, Kimberly Seabolt, Stephanie Berryman, Linda Bidwell and Daniele Cotter. They were known as 'The Briarwood Five.' You rarely saw one without the rest of the group. The boys would soon be called 'The Briarwood Seven.'
The girls got their breakfasts and gathered at the same table. Talk and laughter from the group soon permeated the cafeteria.
As the meal progressed, Tommy answered many questions from the girls. It was a repeat of the conversation with the boys the night before. It was a time of getting to know each other. They wanted to know all about Tommy and where he came from. What he liked and didn't like. Soon they were talking about Rock & Roll music.
As he listened to the conversation, Tommy watched his new friends, and thought back to that first meal at his old Junior High. It seemed like so many years ago. He sat with Howard Witherspoon at the 'dork' table. Within ten minutes he was being bullied by Dave Torbin.
Tommy was amazed at how nice these kids were. They were so different than those back in Indiana. He looked over at Bruce. His new roommate gave him a wink.
Tommy smiled broadly. 'This might be all right ' he thought to himself.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT – THE FIRST DAY
After
the boys finished breakfast, they returned to their room to finish
preparing for the day.
Briarwood did not require school
uniforms. They wanted their students to blend in with the students
from Charleston High. Bruce still wanted to look through Tommy’s
clothes. He wanted to make sure he brought appropriate
wearing apparel. He decided that Tommy’s clothes were fine,
and they got ready.
At seven forty-five they were ready to go. As they left the residence hall, Bruce pointed out some of the sights.
“The school bought several of these older buildings and use the upper floors for the school,” he explained. “They make extra income by renting out the street floor.”
“That is so cool,” Tommy said as he looked up at a three-story building. “Mr. Ethridge told me about some of the buildings last night. We walked a lot,” he exclaimed.
“That is the Administration, English, and History building,” Bruce said. “They have meeting rooms, offices and the like. Many of these offices are also rented out. This is where Mr. Ethridge's office is located. Welcome to Briarwood High, Tommy,” Bruce smiled.
“I remember this building from last night,” Tommy said. “And the gym and all the other buildings down the block.”
“You'll get used to all the walking,” Bruce said with a smile.
Tommy smiled back. “This is a lot cooler than the huge four-story brick building where my brother goes to school,” Tommy said excitedly.
“There's a lot more to see my new friend,” Bruce said. “But first we need to get you up to Mr. Ethridge's office.”
“I have to admit, I am a bit scared,” Tommy exclaimed. “Actually, a lot scared.”
“Don’t sweat it man. Mr. Ethridge is an all-right guy. He’s tough as nails, and as tender as a soft-boiled egg.” Bruce tried to calm his new friend.
They climbed the stairs to the fourth floor. Tommy noticed that although the building was old like 'The Holley', it had been nicely remodeled.
Bruce continued his tour. “The fourth-floor houses Mr. Ethridge's office, the medical center, and a few classrooms,” he said. “More classrooms are located on the fifth floor. And, we have the small gym a few blocks away that students can use after hours. Some students like to work out to get away from the studies for a bit. I am not a workout type of guy. I prefer the library. The main library is in the same building as the gym.”
“Here we are. This is Mr. Ethridge's office.” He smiled at his new friend. “You ready?”
“No,” Tommy returned the smile, then he opened the door and entered the office.
Bruce stood there with a smile on his face watching as his new friend started his career at Briarwood.
The office was nicely decorated. A large couch sat against one wall. Across the small room was a desk. The other wall had a door that Tommy assumed led into Mr. Ethridge's office. Just as he entered the office, the other door opened, and a woman emerged.
She was no more than five feet tall. Tommy guessed she was about his mother’s age, maybe a bit older. She had jet black hair to go with her dark features. Her glasses hung around her neck on a string.
“Good morning young man,” she smiled. “I am Mrs. Derosa, Mr. Ethridge's secretary. You must be Tommy Andrews.”
“Yes ma'am, I'm Tommy.” Tommy said shyly as he looked down at the floor.
“Tommy, your Briarwood education starts today,” she smiled broadly. “First lesson. Don’t be shy. Look up when you are talking to people. I won't bite, I promise.” As Tommy looked up, she gave him a smile. Tommy remembered telling Denise the same thing. He smiled at the memory.
“Yes ma'am, I will do that, ma'am,” Tommy replied as he looked up at her. He immediately liked this person. She seemed to be kind and caring.
“Follow me, young man.” Mrs. Derosa said motioning to the other office.
Mr. Ethridge's office was decorated in a similar fashion as the outside office. Pictures of past Presidents adorned the walls. Lincoln, Kennedy, Hoover, and others adorned the walls. One large window sat behind a huge desk. There were two chairs facing the desk. A huge bookcase lined one wall. Behind the desk sat Tommy’s new headmaster.
“Good morning, Tommy,” he said with a smile. “How was your first night? Did you sleep OK?” He motioned for Tommy to have a seat.
“Fine sir, just fine,” Tommy responded.
“You and Bruce getting to know each other?” he asked.
“Yes sir, Mr. Ethridge,” Tommy smiled. “Bruce is great. Thank you for choosing him as my roommate. I know we're going to get along just fine.”
“That's good to hear, Tommy. Are you meeting some of the other students?” Mr. Ethridge asked.
“Yes, sir. A few of the boys came to the room last night and introduced themselves. Then this morning at breakfast, I was surrounded by a group of girls.” He laughed.
“That’s wonderful Tommy,” the headmaster said. “We want you to be at home here and make many new friends.” He smiled at Tommy. “The friends you make here are almost as important as your education. Some of them will be with you for the rest of your life.”
“Yes, sir. They have all been wonderful,” Tommy said.
Mr. Ethridge put his glasses down on the desk. “I think you will find these kids different from the kids at your old school. They are all here to study and learn. I will make you a promise. You will not be bullied here at Briarwood,” he said.
“Thank you, sir.” Tommy replied.
“Before we continue, I want you to tell me the story you told Mr. Kremer on the bus yesterday.”
Tommy knew they did not have time for the whole story he told the day before, so he gave Mr. Ethridge the shorter version. But he did not leave out any of the important details.
When Tommy finished, the headmaster let out a huge sigh.
“Tommy, I want you to do me a favor,” he said to his new student.
“Yes sir,” Tommy responded.
“I want you to forget it, all of it. Put it all in your past. You start fresh, right here, today.” He smiled. “I knew your father in college. I don’t know what went on in your home with him and your brother.” He let out another sigh. “I have to admit, that I am surprised by your story. But remember this, I am always on the side of my students,” he paused. “Unless they prove me wrong.”
“I see,” said Tommy.
“However young man, you are here to learn and grow as a student
and as a person. As I mentioned last night, you will get the
best possible education here at Briarwood. But you have to
work
at it, and you are going to work very, very hard.” he waited for
Tommy to agree.
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied.
“Now, I have looked over all your records.”
'Here it comes,' Tommy thought.
“You young man, are smart. Your IQ tests are literally off the charts.” He smiled at his new student as he waved his arms up in the air. The last time an adult waved their arms up in the air at Tommy, they were not smiling.
“Now, we have to translate that into success for you. That's what we intend to do.”
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied.
“I happen to think that your school problems boil down to three issues. The first is that you were constantly bullied. That affects your attitude, causing you to get into fights. The second is your shyness and third, your fear of being made fun of. That affects your class participation. The fact that you did so well on your final exams, tells me it's all about your attitude and your surroundings. I am not sure how much your home life fit into this equation, but I have a feeling that it did,” he smiled. “Well, those issues have been fixed.”
“Sir?” Tommy asked. He was confused.
"Those issues don't exist here. You've already seen it. All those kids who came up to you last night and this morning. They are all great kids. They will not bully you nor will they ever make fun of you. We choose our students carefully. I hate to brag, but they are all the cream of the crop, and so are you.”
Tommy smiled. He was beginning to understand.
“But son, I cannot fix your attitude, only you can do that.”
Tommy nodded his understanding.
“So, here is our plan for today.” he paused making sure Tommy had his full attention.
“Mrs. Derosa will take you up to Mr. Kremer's classroom. We have some tests we want you to take. I thought you would be more comfortable if Mr. Kremer administered those tests.”
Tommy frowned but looked forward to seeing Mr. Kremer again.
Mr. Ethridge laughed. “Get used to taking tests young man. These are not hard. Some tests will be about class work, some will be about you. We want to get to know you better, and make sure we get you in the right classes. Our main goal is for you to succeed and be happy here.”
“Yes sir.” Tommy was bombarded with emotions. He was still scared and it showed.
Mr. Ethridge sensed his nervousness. “It's OK Tommy, you are going to be fine here. I haven't lost a student yet,” he smiled. It made Tommy feel a bit more at ease.
“After lunch, you will take some more tests. The results will be given to your teachers to help them gauge where you stand along with the other students. I would also like you to meet with one of our counselors.” he paused.
Tommy looked at him in amazement.
“Mrs. Reitz will talk to you about adjusting to your new surroundings. It will help you; I promise. Then you can come back here and we will talk again.”
He rose from his chair and extended his hand to Tommy.
“Welcome to Briarwood Tommy,” he said with a huge smile.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
THE FIRST DAY (PART 2)
Mrs. Derosa led Tommy upstairs to Mr. Kremer’s classroom.
Tommy noticed that the classroom was smaller than he expected. A quick count told him there were only fifteen desks in the room. Classes at Briarwood were much smaller than at Storer. He would learn later that Briarwood had a limit of fifteen students in each classroom.
Mr. Kremer was there to meet him.
“Good morning, Tommy, and welcome to the Briarwood Prison.” He said with a huge smile.
“Just kidding son. I hope you are not upset with us for that little stunt we pulled. We just wanted to make sure you were alright.”
“Actually sir, I appreciated what you did for me. I was scared and you put me at ease. I felt bad that I did all the talking and did not get to know anything about you. I'm happy to see you again.” Tommy said as he shook his new teacher's hand.
“Well son, you have a long day ahead of you. But first, there are a few things you need to know,” Mr. Kremer said.
“I'm ready sir,” was Tommy’s reply.
“Before we start the testing, I want you to know that all of us
understand that this is new and scary for
you.” He smiled at the new student. “You will be OK here, and you
will get a great
education. Remember that you can go to any
teacher or staff member if you have a problem or a question,
or if you just want to talk. We are all here for you.”
“Yes sir, I will remember that.” Tommy said shyly.
“Son, Briarwood is not like any other school you have seen. The kids are all great, and they will all be your friends. They are all special kids, and so are you. I promise you; this will be the greatest experience of your life.”
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied.
“Now, here is what we are going to do,” Mr. Kremer continued. “Today is what we call a preschool day. The rest of the students will be arriving, and classes start tomorrow so your timing is perfect.” He paused.
“This morning tests are about you. What you like, what you hate, things you have done.”
Tommy looked at him. “You mean psych tests?”
“Well yes, in a way. These tests will tell us all about you and will help Mr. Ethridge choose your course of action.
After you complete these tests, we will break for lunch. We don’t
run a
cafeteria here. We simply have too many buildings and
not enough room. Students either bring their lunch or they
can walk over to 'The Holley' for lunch. To save time, I have asked
Mother Miller to bring us something.”
“I see,” Tommy said.
“Then this afternoon you get into the real thing. English, Math, Science, and my personal favorite, History,” he said with a grin.
“By the way, I have asked Mr. Ethridge to put you in my history class.
” Thank you, sir. I do enjoy History. I love to read autobiographies.”
“Well then son, I will have to come up with some extra credit work for you,” Mr. Kremer said with a smile. “So, what say we get started.”
Tommy sat at a desk in the back of the room all by himself. The room was so quiet he could hear the noise his pencil made as he wrote. The tests were not difficult, but he had to think hard about his answers. Tommy thought the questions were designed just for him. Mr. Kremer spent the time preparing for the upcoming term. Tommy did not know that Mr. Ethridge spent two days preparing these tests. The time flew by.
He finished the last page just as Mother Miller arrived with a huge brown bag. She smiled at him as she walked into the room.
“Alright people,” she exclaimed. “Put down the books, the pencils and your brains. It’s time for nourishment. Lunch is the most important meal of the day, and I made it special for you.”
Both Mr. Kremer and Tommy smiled. They were both ready for a break.
As they began their lunch, Mr. Kremer asked Mother Miller if she would drop off the morning tests to Mr. Ethridge’s office.
“I will see you for dinner, young man.” She smiled at Tommy. “It’s the most important meal of the day.”
“Yes ma'am, I'll be there.” Tommy said, trying to suppress a laugh.
The new student and teacher dined on egg salad sandwiches, vegetable beef soup, some celery sticks, potato chips, an apple, and some of Mother Millers special homemade chocolate chip cookies. Tommy liked the local Mr. Bees potato chips.
After lunch, Mr. Kremer gave Tommy the other tests to complete. Tommy had never worked so hard on tests before. His hand ached from all the writing. But oddly enough, these tests seemed to be easy.
It was almost four thirty before Tommy finished the last exam. He looked up at his new teacher. Mr. Kremer had a huge smile on his face. He had already looked at Tommy’s history exam.
“OK son, the day is almost over. Mr. Ethridge would like to see you now. He has looked over the tests you took this morning. Do you think you can find his office?” he asked.
“Oh yes Mr. Kremer, once I have been somewhere, I can always find it again.” Tommy remarked.
“OK son, get on down there, your day here is done.”
“I almost forgot; I was supposed to go see a counselor before I see Mr. Ethridge.” Tommy said.
“It's all right Tommy, Mr. Ethridge put a bit too much on your schedule today. That appointment has been rescheduled for tomorrow,” Mr. Kremer said.
“OK, sir and thank you for taking the time with me today,” Tommy remarked.
“It’s my pleasure son, and I will see you tomorrow in history class. Bright and early.” He said with a grin.
“By the way Tommy, you did outstanding work on the history exam. You are going to do extremely well in my class.” Mr. Kremer smiled.
Tommy was walking on a cloud when he got to Mr. Ethridge's office. Mr. Ethridge was waiting for him.
“So, Tommy, how was the testing?” he said as he motioned for Tommy to sit down.
"It was fine sir. But I have to admit, this morning's test was different.”
“The test this morning had no wrong answers,” Mr. Ethridge
said. “They were designed to tell me more about you and what
your interests are,” he paused. “This way I can design a proper
course of action for you.”
“I see,” said Tommy. “So, what am I interested in?” he grinned.
“Well, like I told you this morning, you are extremely intelligent. You were bullied and made fun of at your old school. I also think one of your problems was that you were not challenged enough. In other words, you were bored.” He smiled at his new student.
“You love to read and are probably way ahead on that score than
most of the students here.
The list of books you have read in
the last six months was impressive.”
“Yes sir, I do love to read. I spent a lot of time in my room, grounded,” Tommy smiled.
“But you need more,” Mr. Ethridge said. “In your responses you mentioned an interest in electronics and Amateur Radio. Tell me more about that.”
“Well sir, the only friend I had at my old school was Howard Weatherspoon. His dad was an engineer at the radio and TV station in town, and we spent a lot of Saturdays hanging out there. Howard was more interested in the TV station, but for some reason I was drawn to the radio side. I used to watch the engineers play the records and commercials. I would watch them for hours. I got into all the knobs and dials. That's how I got interested in running the audio for the school plays. We also had a neighbor who had this huge radio antenna in his back yard. One day I saw him out in his yard, so I asked him what it was. He was nice and showed me his amateur radio station. He had this whole room full of radio gear, and told me he talked to people all over the world. I thought it was cool.”
Tommy was thinking that he was talking too much again.
“So, why didn’t you study and get your license?” he asked Tommy.
“I wanted to sir, but my dad said I needed to concentrate on
schoolwork. He said he didn't want me wasting my time on
'kid stuff.' You see my grades were not that good. So, I kind of
forgot about it.”
“Well Tommy, I have a suggestion,” Mr. Ethridge said with a smile.
“I have your class schedule here,” he paused to make sure Tommy was paying attention.
“History, Math, and English to start with. I think that is more
than enough for you at this point. We will get to science and
foreign languages in the fall. But I have some time on your
schedule to fill.”
“Yes sir,” Tommy responded.
“Each summer term we have what we call Independent Study. It gives students a chance to study any area of their choosing. It's the reason so many students choose to come back for summer school. How would you like to study and earn your Amateur Radio License?”
“Really sir?” he almost jumped out of his chair. “I can do that?” He was smiling from ear to ear.
“Yes, you can, son and it's not 'kid stuff.' Our science teacher, Mr. Moorland, is also a ham operator. I talked to him earlier this afternoon and he said he would be happy to guide you through the process. He has a small amateur station over in the industrial arts building.” He knew he had Tommy’s attention.
“Wow, sir that would be great!” Tommy exclaimed.
“Just a warning son. If you don’t do well in your morning classes, I will be forced to cancel your Independent Study.” He noticed how serious Tommy looked and knew that he had just discovered the key to Tommy's success.
“Sir, don’t you worry sir.” Tommy had not been this excited in a long time. “I won't let you down, I promise.”
“No, I don’t think you will.” He smiled. “Here is your class schedule.” He handed some paperwork to Tommy. “We don't have lockers here at Briarwood, so you will have to plan your day accordingly. With so many buildings, having individual lockers is impractical,” he smiled at his new student. “Your father set up an account at the school bookstore for you. It's on the first floor of the Holley Hotel. You can get any school supplies you need. They will keep a running total for you. I will have your father deposit any needed funds for you. If you need some spending money, like for a meal out or a movie, come see Mrs. Derosa. We have a separate account for that purpose.”
“Thank you, sir. I will. Mom gave me plenty of spending money,” Tommy said.
“When your money gets low, just see Mrs. Derosa. If you get lost or have any questions, just ask a fellow student or faculty member. You will find them all to be helpful and nice. I also included a little map for you. It outlines where all the building are located. We are spread out a bit,” he smiled.
“We did not have time for you to see Mrs. Reitz today, so I asked her to see you tomorrow at two fifteen. I wrote down the time and her office number for you. It is right down the hall.”
He handed his new student a map of the downtown with all the Briarwood building circled.
“When you are done with Mrs. Reitz, you can go see Mr. Moorland and get started on your Independent Study. I told Mr. Moorland to look for you around three fifteen or so. You are going to learn that this school is a lot different than any school you have ever seen.”
“You know sir, that’s exactly what Mr. Kremer said.”
CHAPTER THIRTY – GONE, GONE, GONE
While Tommy Andrews was settling into his first day of his new life in Charleston, his brother. George was celebrating with a trip to Muncie's 'Water Bowl'.
The famed water spot was a former gravel pit that opened in 1957 and was a favorite place for Muncie teens during the summer months.
George was standing in the concession line when Gary Thurston tapped him on the shoulder.
George had stopped hanging around with Gary a few months earlier. He had decided that it wasn't cool to hang out with someone two years younger than himself. After all, he was going to be a senior this year. Seniors never hung out with lowly sophomores. Gary was fine with it, as he had grown tired of George's attitude and his constant complaining about Tommy.
George turned around.
“Hey George, long time no see. How you doin?” Gary asked.
“Great Gary, just great,” he replied. “Especially now that I'm an only child.” he said with a grin.
Gary looked at him. Surprise written all over his face.
“An only child?” Gary asked quizzically.
"Yeah,” George laughed. “Your sister's boyfriend done got himself sent far far away to some boarding school,” he laughed again. “Mom and dad got tired of his bull, so they just got rid of him. For good.” He smiled at Gary. “The little dork is never coming back.”
Gary was stunned. He looked up at George's sarcastic smile and for a split-second thought about wiping it away with his fist. But instead, he decided to play George's game. He laughed.
“Serves 'Indinia' right for jumping a defenseless student like that. I heard he damn near killed him,” Gary said with a smile.
“Not to mention decking the gym teacher. What a stupid thing to do,” George laughed.
George looked past Gary and saw some of his friends. He waved at them, and Gary knew the conversation was about to be terminated.
“Hey George,” Gary said softly as if they were exchanging state secrets. “So, where did they send 'Indinia?'” If George knew, then Gary could tell his sister where her boyfriend had gone.
George shrugged his shoulders. “I'm not sure. Mom and dad wouldn't tell me. They made me go to the basement when they told the dork. They just wanted him gone, gone, gone,” George said with a smile. “I did hear them talk some about West Virginia, so maybe they sent him there. I have no idea what would be there for Tommy. The family is all gone now, a distant cousin remains, but she's older than dirt,” he paused. “She's Tommy's Godmother, so maybe he went to Chester. Haven't a clue. Don't really care. I'm just glad the little pain in the ass is gone.”
George smiled then walked away. He did not want any of his friends to think he was being buddy buddy with a sophomore. Gary got his root beer and walked over to a table. He sat down, as all of a sudden, he had lost his urge for a swim.
He sat at the table contemplating his conversation with George. Something was wrong here, terribly wrong. Maybe Dawn was right. Maybe Tommy wasn't the problem or perhaps something at home drove him to violence. Was there something wrong in that house up the street? He thought back to the way he and all of his friends had treated the newcomer. 'Damn', he thought.
He wondered if he was part of all of this. Did he help drive his sister's boyfriend crazy? 'Or was Tommy really crazy?'
By the time Walter arrived to pick him up, Gary had spent a lot of time thinking about Tommy and what had happened. He said nothing on the way home. Walter did not question the silence as Gary sometimes lost himself deep in his thoughts.
When they got home, they found Mildred in the kitchen preparing dinner. Dawn was at the kitchen table concentrating on her latest mystery.
“We need to have a family meeting,” Gary announced.
Walter looked over at Mildred. Dawn put down her book and smiled at her brother.
It was a rule in the Thurston home that any member could call a family meeting at any time. Whatever they were doing at the time ceased, and they all sat down to talk.
“All right son,” Walter said quietly, pointing to the kitchen table.
Gary sat down next to his sister and took her hand in his.
“Dawn, before I say this, I want you to know that I love you more than anything in the world. You know that right?”
Dawn looked up at her brother. She had no idea what this was all about.
“Yes, Gary of course I do. I love you too,” Dawn smiled.
“But sometimes in life you have to hear things you don't like, and then have to be grown up about it,” Gary said.
Gary took a deep breath. “I ran into George Andrews today at the 'Water Bowl',” he said softly. “He told me that his father sent Tommy away to a boarding school somewhere out of state. He says Tommy is never coming back. Not this fall, not next winter. Never.”
Dawn's eyes opened wide, and tears began to form.
“I am so sorry Dawn.” Gary said quietly.
Walter and Mildred sat in stunned silence.
“Are you sure?” Dawn's voice cracked, as she released Gary's hand.
Gary nodded his head. This was the worst moment of his young life. In the back of his mind, he knew that he may have helped cause his sister's boyfriend to be sent away. The worst part was that he did not know how to fix it for her. But somehow, he vowed to find a way.
Dawn stood up, tears dripping from her cheeks.
“Damn that John Andrews!” she shouted, as she slapped the table with her hand. “Damn him straight to hell,” she yelled again as she ran to her room in tears.
Mildred started to get up to follow her, but Walter stopped her.
“Let her cry Mid, she needs to get it out,” he said shaking his head. “Give her some time and some space.”
Gary looked down at the table.
"Mom, she's going to need lots of time.” he said softly.
Dawn would not come out of her room for three days.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE – SETTLING IN
During dinner, everyone asked Tommy how his first day had been. The cafeteria was more crowded than it had been at breakfast as many more students had arrived during the day.
Tommy spent most of the time meeting and talking to those who had just arrived. Everyone told him to ask for help if he needed it. He had never met so many nice kids in his life. Even the upperclassmen were nice. They did not look down on the younger students the way they did at most schools.
Life at Briarwood began in earnest.
The next morning Tommy was excited. He was actually looking forward to summer school.
As he entered Mr. Kremer’s classroom, his new teacher smiled at him.
“Take a seat anywhere,” he said to the group of students. Tommy recognized a few of them.
Several students realized he was new to the school and came over and introduced themselves.
Several of them were 'day students.' They attended school during the day, but still lived at home.
Soon Mr. Kremer was ready to begin. He introduced the three new students, and then he proceeded with the class.
The time flew by. Tommy leafed through his new history text. He knew he was going to enjoy this class.
His next class was different. Tommy was never good at math, and he was worried than he would not do well.
Mr. Hartwig was a tall thin man with a crew cut. He wore a bow tie and a light gray suit.
Tommy would soon learn that this was how he dressed every day. He seemed to be serious about his teaching, and Tommy did not see one smile from him the entire ninety minutes of class.
Tommy knew that it would take a lot of hard studying to catch up on his math skills.
As he walked back to the 'The Holley' for lunch, Tommy looked at the downtown area. He liked the older buildings, and it was interesting to watch all the people window-shopping.
Bruce saved a seat for him at lunch. He wanted to hear all about his first two classes. They would be in the same English class. It would be the only class they would share this summer.
“Math is going to be tough for me,” Tommy moaned. “History will be fine. I like Mr. Kremer.”
“Mr. Hartwig doesn’t have a lot of personality, Tommy.” Bruce smiled at his new friend. “But he is the best math teacher in the state.”
“He’s going to have to be the best, to get me to understand this stuff,” Tommy replied.
“Don’t sweat it,” Bruce laughed. “I've got your back; we'll start tonight with some tutoring. We will go over your homework, and I'll help you. If I get stumped, there are some upperclassmen that can help.”
“Thanks Bruce, I appreciate it.”
They finished their lunch and walked back over to the school for English class.
Miss Woolridge looked like she should be going to Briarwood, not teaching there. She filled out her five-foot six-inch frame beautifully. Her long blond hair came down to her shoulders.
She did not overdo her make up. She was beautiful.
She was also a great teacher. She would make her class interesting and exciting for her students.
Tommy left the class excited about English for the first time in his life.
‘If I can only get through math’, he thought. ‘Maybe I’ll be ok.’
Bruce went back to the 'The Holley', while Tommy went the other way to the administration building for his dreaded meeting with the counselor.
Tommy easily found Mrs. Reitz's office.
Mrs. Reitz basically ran the administration offices and doubled as a counselor. Well trained, she could teach psychology at any college in the land. She and her husband loved Charleston and never wanted to leave. She found a home at Briarwood.
“Tommy, please come in,” she said with a huge smile.
Tommy sat down and looked at the counselor.
“Tommy, I hope this is not uncomfortable for you,” she smiled. “I just want to get to know you better and help you settle into your new life here at Briarwood.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Reitz, it is a little weird. I've never talked to a shrink before,” Tommy said.
Mrs. Reitz laughed. “I am not a shrink son; I am just a friend who wants to see you well-adjusted and happy here. So how is it going so far?”
“Just fine, ma'am. Just fine. My roommate is great, and all the kids have been nice. I think I will like my classes and my teachers. I am a little worried about Math, it is not my best subject.”
Tommy realized that he did like it
here.
“Well, I am sure the math will work out for you. Mr. Hartwig is a great teacher. Just remember to go to him when you need help. Don't wait too long into the term or you will be too far behind to catch up.”
“I won't ma'am,” Tommy replied.
“I know it's hard to be away from home for the first time,” she continued. “Mr. Ethridge sent over your file. Would you like to tell me your story?”
Tommy was amazed. All these people wanted him to talk, and they were going to listen. Other than Dawn, that had never happened in Indiana.
So, he began to talk and continued talking and Mrs. Reitz listened.
Tommy realized he had done it again. He talked too much.
“I'm sorry Mrs. Reitz, I talk too much. No one has ever listened to me before, so I tend to go overboard,” he smiled.
“That's OK Tommy. That is exactly what I wanted you to do. I think you are going to do well here and are adjusting just fine.” She paused. “I would like you to stop by and see me, let's say once a week, just to chat a bit,” she said with a smile.
“OK Mrs. Reitz, I'll do that.” Tommy replied.
“Let's try every Friday at two fifteen for now,” she said. “I will send a note over to Mr. Moorland to let him know you will be late on those days. How does that sound to you?”
“That's fine ma'am,” Tommy smiled.
“In the meantime, Tommy,” she continued. “If you have any problems, questions, feel lonely, or just want to talk. You come see me anytime. My door is always open. OK?”
“OK Mrs. Reitz and thank you for listening,” he got up to leave.
“My pleasure Tommy. Welcome to Charleston son. I know you will grow to love this city as much as I do.”
Tommy left, not understanding what had just occurred. All that he accomplished was that he talked a lot. She listened intently but said nothing. He shrugged his shoulders and made his way to the Industrial Arts building to see Mr. Moorland.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO – INDEPENDENT STUDY
Located across the street from the Administration Building, the Industrial arts building also housed the Math and Science departments. The Industrial Arts department occupied the basement and the second floor. The top two floors housed the Math and Science Departments. As usual here, stores occupied the ground level.
The room was huge. Desks occupied the center of the room. It reminded Tommy of his first day at Storer when he went to science class. Workbenches lined two walls giving students plenty of space to work on their projects. Electronic gear lined the back of each bench. The back wall was lined with metal bins. Tommy assumed they contained electronic parts.
“Hello, Mr. Andrews, welcome to Briarwood. I'm Mr. Moorland,” he said as Tommy walked into the room.
“Hello sir,” Tommy said as he gazed around the huge space.
Mr. Moorland was short and stocky and sported a crew cut. He looked to be in his early forties and had the shortest crew cut Tommy had ever seen. He wore a white shirt and no tie. Tommy would learn later that Mr. Moorland hated ties and refused to wear one, no matter what Mr. Ethridge said. But that was alright because Mr. Ethridge wanted good teachers not good dressers.
“Come on in son, don’t be shy,” Mr. Moorland said with a smile. He motioned Tommy to have a seat at one of the desks. Mr. Moorland sat on the desk in front of Tommy and faced the new student.
“Mr. Ethridge tells me you are interested in Amateur Radio and Electronics.” He smiled.
“Yes sir, I am. One of my friends back home took me to the radio TV station where his dad worked. I was hooked,” Tommy said.
“Well, that’s fine,” Mr. Moorland said. “We’ll start you out with some basic electronics, then we’ll add Morse code, and the rules and regulations.” He smiled again.
“By the time I am through with you, young man,” he paused for effect. “You will copy and send Morse code as well as you speak English. I promise you will pass the FCC test with ease.”
“That’s great sir. I always wanted to learn electronics and study radio.”
His new teacher could see the excitement in his eyes.
“Tell you what, Tommy,” Mr. Moorland continued. “Maybe in a few weeks, I’ll take you over to WCHS for a field trip. I do some part time work for them.”
“That would be fun, Mr. Moorland,” Tommy said with a smile.
“Have you ever taken a foreign language?” he asked his new student.
“No sir, I haven’t,” Tommy replied.
“Well, you are about to,” he replied. “You have to think about Morse code as another language. You will eat and sleep Morse code for the next few months,” he smiled. “I promise you; you are about to drive your new roommate crazy.” Mr. Moorland let out a chuckle.
“The FCC requires you to be able to copy and receive code at thirteen words per minute for the General license. By the way, we are not fiddling with that ‘Novice’ stuff. You are going straight to the General class.”
“Cool,” Tommy’s replied.
“I also require more than the FCC does. You will do twenty words per minute. So, let’s begin. This big room is the electronics lab. I try to give each student his own workstation.” He pointed to a door. “That room over there is the Amateur radio station. Down the hall is the wood and metal shops. The rest of the classrooms are up on the second floor, along with our print shop.” Mr. Moorland got up and went to his main desk. He gathered up three books and handed them to Tommy.
“These textbooks are yours to keep,” he said with a smile. “The red one is the newest Radio Amateur Handbook.
“Yes sir,” Tommy said with a smile.
“And Tommy,” Mr. Moorland said seriously. “There will be a chapter one test.” Then he smiled. “But first,” he continued. “Let’s go have some fun.” He pointed towards the doors that lead to the amateur station.
Tommy got up and followed his new teacher into the room.
“We have some antennas up on the roof,” Mr. Moorland said. “We'll go up there in a day or so.”
A huge desk sat against the wall. On the desk was a variety of radio gear that Tommy did not recognize. They didn’t look anything like his radio at home.
A map of the world and the United State were mounted on a wall with different colored stick pins in different areas of each map. There were pins all over the maps. Mr. Moorland noticed Tommy looking at them.
“Those maps represent all the people we have talked to all over the world. The red pins are mine; the blue pins belong to Andy Schrook. He is a junior that you'll meet later. After you obtain your license in September, you can have the green pins,” he said.
He pointed to a huge bookcase on the other wall. “Those books
are part of my personal library. Feel free to borrow them
anytime. I subscribe to many Ham and Electronics magazines.
They
are all available to you. Mr. Ethridge tells me you read all the
time. All I ask is that you return them in the same condition
that you found them.”
Tommy thought back to the day he loaned Dawn his Agatha Christie book. It was the day that changed his life forever.
“Yes sir, don’t you worry sir.” Tommy said seriously. “I’m fussy about my books too.”
“One thing you need to understand son. This is called independent study. Your other classes must come first. I suggest you do all that homework first, study your electronics chapter, and then work on your code for a bit. Then on the weekend as time permits you can work on the other books. I am going to give you a tape recorder and some code tapes to take back to your room. We will go over that later. You will take many tests to judge how you are progressing. But 'I.S.' is a pass or fail. You pass the FCC exam; you get an 'A'. If you fail,” he paused. “Well, you know.”
Tommy nodded his understanding.
“And one more thing, son.” Mr. Moorland said with a smile. “Don’t forget to have a life here. You can’t have your nose in a book all the time. Go out and get to know the kids and this wonderful city. Enjoy yourself once in a while. Embrace this city. The kids over at Charleston Catholic are all great, and for the most part Charleston High is the same way. Get to know them. Not only will you grow to love Charleston, but you will also find that your studies will go better.”
“Yes, sir," Tommy smiled.
Mr. Moorland sat down at the desk and turned on the equipment. For the next two hours he showed Tommy how it all worked, and soon he was talking to a ham operator in Florida. He let Tommy talk to him too. Tommy was hooked. He could not wait to start studying for his test.
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE - SUMMER SCHOOL
Tommy approached his new classes with a vigor and enthusiasm he had never felt before.
He found History to be the easiest course. All he had to do was read and keep up with the daily assignments. He liked Mr. Kremer. English took a bit more time, as he had never paid much attention to how to break down sentences and all that goes with it.
Thanks to Mr. Kremer and Miss Woolridge, Tommy was beginning to participate in class discussions. Both teachers were aware of his shyness and made a point to draw him into the class discussions. After a couple of weeks, they did not have to make the effort. Tommy was freely getting himself involved in his classes.
Tommy worked harder than he ever had in his life. He no longer stared off in the distance like he did at Storer Junior High. He paid close attention not only to his teachers, but to his classmates as well.
Math was another story. He found the first two weeks difficult. Bruce spent hours with Tommy tutoring him in math. A couple of weeks before the first big test, Tommy stayed after class to ask Mr. Hartwig to help him.
Mr. Hartwig looked up from the paper he was grading.
“Yes?” he asked.
“Sir, I was wondering,” Tommy said softly. Then he paused.
“Yes, Tommy,” Mr. Hartwig said. “What do you want?”
“I was wondering if you might help me a little. Some of this stuff, I just don’t get it. My roommate Bruce is trying to help me, and so is an upperclassman. I think I need more.”
“Son, I was wondering how long it would take you.” He smiled broadly. It was the first smile Tommy had seen from him. “I have a lunch hour; you have a lunch hour. Let’s get to work.”
For the next two weeks both teacher and student gave up their lunch hour and spent the time on math.
Tommy was stunned the day it all made sense. Mr. Hartwig was explaining an equation and Tommy realized he was not only following along but was anticipating the next step.
Mr. Hartwig smiled. “I think our work here is done.”
Tommy would earn an “A” on the math test and another smile from Mr. Hartwig. It felt good.
He spent every weekend studying his electronics and Morse code. The tapes Mr. Moorland gave him were driving Bruce crazy. He made Tommy ask Mr. Moorland for some headphones.
One Saturday, as he was getting ready to leave the library, he noticed a student entering the first floor with a basketball in his hands. Tommy had not seen the gym yet, so he decided to follow the student.
As he entered the gym, he saw five boys at one end of the court. He stood by the door and watched.
One of the boys saw him and walked over to where Tommy was standing. Tommy recognized him as a member of the Junior class.
“Andrews, right?” he smiled at Tommy.
Right” Tommy replied.
“Well, we could use one more for three on three if you’re interested. I’m Sean Estabrook,” he said as he extended his hand.
“T.C.” Tommy replied. “I would love to play, but I’m not very good.” Tommy looked down at the floor.
“We don’t care about that. We are just here to get away from the studies, get a workout and have some fun. Besides, I thought that everyone in Indiana played basketball,” Sean said with a laugh.
And what a workout they got. Up and down the court they ran. Tommy was having fun playing ball for the first time in his life. If he missed a shot or a pass, it was no big deal. These boys were not as competitive as the kids back in Indiana.
After about an hour, they took a break. Tommy was exhausted but felt better than he had in years.
Tommy found out that Sean was from New York. His dad was a stockbroker on Wall Street. Sean was only the second person he had ever met whose parents were divorced.
“Yeah, they dumped me here,” he told Tommy. “And I'm glad to be away from them. I hate to say that, but it’s true.”
“Yeah, I know,” Tommy laughed. He then gave Sean a short version of his life.
“So, we both were sent here against our will. We have a connection.” He laughed.
Soon it was time for more basketball.
Tommy left the gym more tired than ever. When he got back to the 'The Holley', he stopped downstairs to see if there was any mail. As usual, there was his daily copy of the Muncie Star that his mother sent. He found a letter from Muncie, but it had the name Lorraine on it and an address down the street from Dawn's. He ripped open the envelope. It was from Dawn.
June 17, 1965
Dearest Tommy,
Your brother told Gary that your dad sent you away. I was so upset, I locked myself in my room for three days! All Gary knew was that you might be in West Virginia.
Do you know how many boarding schools there are in West Virginia? I had no idea there were so many. I was going to write to every last one of them until I found you.
Then Gary suggested I just go talk to your mother, so I went up to your house and talked to her. She gave me your note and told me what happened and where you are. I cried and cried.
Please Tommy, make this work. If you won't do it for yourself or your parents, then please do it for me.
I know you are a good person. You are the sweetest and most caring person I have ever met. I cannot imagine being in school next year without you.
No matter what my parents say, I will write to you often. PLEASE tell me you are all right!
Please write back to the address on the envelope. Lorraine is a friend of mine, and she will get your letters to me. I don't think my mom wants me to write to you.
I want you to know, I will wait for you!!!
It's going to be OK. We will get through this together. I promise!!!!
I miss you so much.
Dawn.
P.S. I love you too. xxooo
He stared at the last line
for several minutes.
Tommy felt the weight of the world lift from his heart. He was so certain that he would never see Dawn ever again. But finally, something good and decent was happening to him. No matter what their parents said, he and Dawn would be together again. He promised himself that he would do whatever it took to make that happen. He was going to fix what he had caused. He would do it for her, and for them.
Not taking the time to wait for the elevator, Tommy ran upstairs. He could not wait to write a reply. It did not take him long to leap step overstep, all the way to the seventh floor.
For the first time in weeks, he was happy.
June
22, 1965
Dearest Dawn,
I am OK!!
Don't tell anyone, but I think I might actually like it here. The teachers are great, and everyone is friendly. Briarwood does not tolerate bullies.
I have been studying hard and hope to do well. Dad offered to pay me for good grades.
Hopefully he will go broke. Ha Ha!!
Everyone here has made me feel welcome. It is not at all like Storer. My roommate is cool, and he helps me study. He is from Morgantown and his parents want me to come visit for a weekend.
I have a lot of catching up to do.
It is so nice to be away from that house and that school. No yelling, no bullying, and no brother to deal with. But I miss you like crazy.
I can't wait to see you. I was so scared when I left. George said
mom wouldn't let you see me. He said I would never see you
again. The night before I left, mom said you and I were “Done.
Finished.” That was the worst part
about coming here. I thought I had lost you forever.
All My Love
Tommy
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR - THE WALKERS JULY 1965
Since the fourth of July fell on a Sunday, the school gave the students Monday off. They were all ready for a long weekend. Although many of the students stayed at school, Bruce invited Tommy to spend the long weekend in Morgantown. Tommy said he would love to go as long as he could take some books.
Mr. Walker drove down to Charleston Friday afternoon to pick up the boys. He had arranged bus tickets on Monday afternoon for the return trip.
David Walker was a tall, distinguished looking gentleman. Dressed in a three-piece suit, his black shoes were the shiniest Tommy had ever seen.
“So, this is the famous T.C. Andrews.” He said with a smile.
As they shook hands Tommy replied, “Not that famous, sir.”
David helped the boys with their overnight bags, and they started their journey to Morgantown.
The three engaged in typical small talk. David wanted to hear about school and how the boys were doing.
“So, boys, let's get serious for a moment,” he said as they turned onto the main road to Morgantown.
“Any problems rooming together?” he asked seriously.
Bruce looked at his father in amazement. “Dad?” was all he could say.
“I’m sorry, that did not come out correctly,” he laughed.
“What I was asking was how are people treating you two? Any problems?”
Tommy spoke up. “Although your son has a lot to learn about Rock & Roll and Big Band music sir, I guess I am tolerating him OK,” he laughed, and then continued. “Seriously, there have been no problems with anyone. These kids at school are unlike any that I have ever met. They could care less about it. If you mean the race thing.”
David smiled. “Boys, that is good to hear. I don’t think either of you understand how huge this rooming together thing is.”
“Tommy, let me ask you something, and I don't mean to be rude or nosy in any way.” David said to the newcomer.
“Sure, Mr. Walker, ask anything. Your son sure does,” he said with a chuckle.
David laughed. “I am curious as to how much you know about Negroes.”
“Well, sir, not much.” Tommy was searching for the correct words. All he had ever heard about them came from his father.
"Honestly, just what Bruce has told me about you and your family. We didn't have a lot of Negroes at my old school. We did have some neighbors up the hill from us in Pennsylvania, but they never played with us,” Tommy said.
“Well, let me tell you,” Mr. Walker stared at the road. “We are all the same with the exception of how we are perceived by others. There are people in this world that will not take kindly to you and Bruce being friends. Some will be white, some won't.”
“You know what sir?” Tommy replied. “Bruce and I don't care about those people.”
“One thing you boys need to always remember,” Mr. Walker continued. “There are good Negro people and there are bad Negro people. It's the same with white people. You should always judge a person for themselves, not by color.”
The three talked more as they made their way towards the Walker home in Morgantown.
Tommy was spellbound as they pulled up to the Walker's home. The three-story house was perhaps the biggest thing Tommy had ever seen. A circular driveway went past a huge entrance way, and then curved back out to the street.
A tall woman was standing at the doorway as they stopped. A young girl stood beside Mrs. Walker jumping up and down in excitement. Tommy knew she was Bruce's younger sister, Susan.
Soon introductions were made all around. Susan seemed to be a bit shy, but Tommy immediately fell in love with her.
Mary Ann Walker looked the part of a college professor. Studious looking, her curly hair was shoulder length, and she wore glasses that made her look the part of a college professor. Tommy could not wait to get to know these people. Mrs. Walker greeted Tommy warmly.
“So, young man,” she said with a smile. “You're the T.C. that Bruce tells us so much about. Welcome to our home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Walker,” Tommy replied. “Bruce has told me so much about you and your family. Thank you for inviting me.”
“Tommy,” she replied. “I want you to feel at home here. I know you are a long way from your home, but you need to know that you are always welcome here.”
“Thank you, ma'am, that is kind of you. I have been a little homesick lately,” Tommy said.
“Yeah, he misses his girlfriend,” Bruce said with a chuckle as he elbowed his friend in the ribs.
And they made him feel at home. Mrs. Walker was a great cook and Tommy ate a lot more than he normally did that weekend. He knew he would have to be in the gym next week burning it off. But it was worth it.
Tommy arose early Saturday morning. Bruce liked to sleep in when he was at home, so Tommy quietly got dressed and went down the hall.
He got a little lost and ended up in a spacious library.
A fireplace sat against one wall. A large sofa and two enormous chairs sat in the middle of the room facing the fireplace. Behind the sofa was a massive desk covered with books. Bookcases highlighted the other walls from floor to ceiling. A ladder on some sort of track reached to the ceiling on each wall.
He stood there fascinated by all the books. Soon he heard a noise behind him.
“Lots of books huh?” Mrs. Walker stood in the doorway with a huge smile on her lips.
It startled the young man, and he jumped in fear.
“I'm sorry Mrs. Walker, I got lost. I wasn't being nosy.”
“Tommy, it's fine. I told you to make yourself at home, and I meant that,” she said softly as she entered the room.
“Susan and the boys like to sleep in. But I guess you are like me, an early riser. So, you like books?” she asked.
“Yes ma'am, I read all the time.” Tommy replied.
“What kind of books do you read?” she asked with a smile.
“Everything ma'am, autobiographies, history, fiction, nonfiction. It doesn't matter. If it's written on a page, I'll read it. I remember growing up, my brother who is two and a half years older than me, was always reading comic books. I preferred the local newspaper and a good novel. He thought I was a dork,” he said.
“Sounds to me like you read serious stuff, but sometimes you need to read just for fun. I tell my students that all the time. Have fun with reading. It doesn't matter what you read. You can read newspapers, novels, autobiographies or even comic books. But always read something.” She said as she walked over to her desk.
When she returned, she handed Tommy a book.
“I think you might like this. I just finished it. It's a fun read and much better than the movie.”
Tommy looked at the hard cover book. 'Seven Days in May' by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey. It would be the first of many political novels Tommy would read over the years.
“Can I borrow it?” Tommy asked shyly.
“Of course you can. Remember, books should not just sit on a shelf to be looked at and admired. They should be read and shared,” she said smiling at Tommy. “There is nothing better in this world than a well-worn book. You can borrow any book in this room, whenever you want.”
Tommy thought back to his home in Indiana. For the most part, the only books in the house were in his room.
Tommy looked around the room. Books were everywhere. “Mrs. Walker, I think I love this room.”
“Many many years ago,” Mary Ann smiled. “A great Roman Philosopher named Cicero said that 'a room without books is like a body without a soul.'”
Tommy would never forget that quote.
Mary Ann Walker reached down and took Tommy's hand. “Come on, let's you and I go find some breakfast,” she said with a wink.
Tommy sat with Mrs. Walker at the table and talked about many of the books he had read. She as amazed at how well read this boy was. Tommy went on and on about books. As was his new habit, he talked too much.
Mrs. Walker listened and smiled.
Soon Mr. Walker was up and came into the kitchen with the morning papers. He shared them with Tommy and read as he drank his morning coffee.
Tommy would discover that David Walker was a newspaper junkie just like him. He brought in three newspapers, The Pittsburgh Post Gazette, the Morgantown Dominion News and the Wall Street Journal.
Tommy fell in love with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. It was the first big city newspaper he had ever seen. He sat at the table for two hours reading it almost from the front page to the last.
He had no idea what awaited him on Sunday morning. The Walkers were amazed.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-FIVE - FITTING IN
Tommy found that if he grabbed clean clothes at lunch he could
run to the gym after Mr. Moorland's class and fit in an
hour's workout. He could shower at the gym and still make it back to “The Holley' by six for dinner with Bruce and his
friends.
This became his summer routine. Sometimes he shot baskets with other students, sometimes he just ran laps around the gym. Soon he found he could run longer and faster. He was getting into shape, and it helped him avoid the homesickness he had been feeling.
The boys studied hard, every night. Tommy helped Bruce with his English, and Bruce helped his roommate with Math. They were growing closer and closer. Other than Tommy's time in the gym and with ham radio, he and Bruce were never more than three feet apart.
Bruce had his outside interests as well. He was spending time helping with the school newspaper and was also active in the debate club.
Mr. Ethridge did not see Tommy too much but was getting weekly reports from his teachers. Mr. Hartwig was especially impressed with Tommy. His report was glowing.
Tommy continued to see Mrs. Reitz every Friday. They would talk for a little while and Tommy would fill her in on how his life was going.
One day she handed Tommy a note. The note asked him to stop by and see Mr. Ethridge in the morning at seven forty-five.
He wondered if something was wrong, and Bruce told him not to worry.
Bright and early the next morning he appeared as requested. Since it was Saturday, Mrs. Derosa was not there. Mr. Ethridge's office door was open, and he was waiting for Tommy.
“Tommy, please come in and have a seat. Sorry to ask you to come in so early on a Saturday,” he smiled. “I am being spread a bit too thin these days, and this was the only time I had available.”
Ethridge sensed that Tommy was nervous.
“Son, it's OK” he smiled again. “You are not in any trouble.”
Tommy let out a sigh. “Good,” he responded.
“I just wanted to see you for a few minutes to see how you were doing. I have been a bit busy the last several weeks, and I am sorry that we have not gotten a chance to catch up with each other.”
“Everything is going great sir,” Tommy said proudly.
“Yes, I have been getting regular reports from all your teachers, and they all say you are doing extremely well. Mrs. Reitz says you are adjusting better than expected to you new surroundings.”
Ethridge smiled at his new student.
"And I wanted to congratulate you. At midterm you have all 'A's' in your classes.”
“That's great sir. Other than math it has all been easy for me.”
“Yes, Mr. Hartwig goes on and on about you. I think maybe he is prouder of you than I am,” he paused. “If that is possible.” Ethridge then smiled. “He tells me you are working extremely hard in his class.”
Tommy smiled broadly. He could not remember anyone ever telling him that they were proud of him. “Yes, sir I am working hard. Mr. Hartwig gave up his lunch hour for weeks to help me. I never got that kind of attention back home. But it is getting easier for me.”
“So, I heard,” Mr. Ethridge said with a smile. “I am glad you went and asked for help.”
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied with a smile. “Me too.”
“You and Bruce getting along?” he asked although he knew the answer.
“Sir, he has become my best friend. His family is great. He has been a huge help to me. I will never be able to repay him for all he has done for me,” Tommy said proudly.
“Good, I had a feeling you two would become more than just roommates,” he smiled. “But there is just one little thing, you need to work on.”
Tommy frowned.
“I talked to your father yesterday. He says you have not been writing home much,” he looked at Tommy.
“No sir, I guess I haven't. I have been so busy with studies, I just haven't had the time.”
Mr. Ethridge laughed. “Do you have the time to write to your girlfriend?” he asked seriously.
Tommy understood. He smiled at his mentor. “OK sir, I get it. I promise I'll write to mom more often.”
Mr. Ethridge caught the exclusion of Tommy's father in that sentence, but he let it slide. There as so much more to this father/son relationship that he needed to learn.
“OK Tommy, I will hold you to that. Keep up the good work.” He continued. “And I promise I will check on you more often. Go on now and enjoy your weekend,” he finished with a smile.
“I hear you've been working out in the gym.”
“Yes sir, and I promise I will write home more.”
As Tommy left the building, he thought to himself, 'Gee, does this guy know everything that goes on around here?'
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX – ROCK LAKE POOL
SOUTH CHARLESTON Late July 1965
It was another hot July evening and Tommy was spending his Friday night at the library. As he was looking for a book, he ran into Eddie Johnson. Eddie was a senior who Tommy had met through Mr. Moorland. They did not know each other well but got along despite the three-year age difference.
“Hey Tommy,” Eddie said. “Are you busy tomorrow” he asked.
“No,” Tommy replied. “You got something going?”
“Yeah, a bunch of us are going to run over to Rock Lake Pool for the afternoon and cool off,” he smiled.
Rock Lake Pool was located on the former site of the South Charleston Crusher Company's stone quarry and had been a South Charleston landmark since 1942. The four hundred by two-hundred-foot pool could accommodate up to seventy-five hundred swimmers at the same time.
Up to four thousand swimmers could show up on a hot West Virginia summer day. They had fun swimming and going down the giant water slide.
The high rock walls made for the perfect high dive.
“You wanna come with us?” Eddie asked. “My friend's a townie and has a huge van, so there is plenty of room.”
Tommy thought he could use some pool time. July was brutally hot in West Virginia.
“Yeah, I would love it,” Tommy exclaimed. “Since you got plenty of room, can my roommate Bruce tag along? I know he could use the break too.”
Eddie got a strange look on his face and shifted from foot to foot.
“That's a problem Tommy,” he looked at the ground.
“They don't allow coloreds at the pool.”
Tommy's eyes opened wide. He could not believe what he was hearing.
“Are you telling me that my best friend in the whole stinking world can't go there to swim because of the color of his skin?” Tommy asked.
“I am afraid so,” Eddie replied. “If it was up to me, it wouldn't matter,” Eddie sighed.
“How do they get away with that? It's against the law,” Tommy questioned.
Eddie thought for a moment. “I think it's because they are privately owned, so they don't have to follow that particular law.”
“Well, I'll be damned if I will go to a place like that. No way,” Tommy said bluntly. “And I am surprised that the rest of you would go. Bruce is our classmate and our friend. If Rock Lake Pool won't let him in, then to hell with them.”
“Look Tommy, I like Bruce OK, but I don't hang out with him,” Eddie said. “Or his kind. That doesn't mean I hate him.”
Tommy thought back to Muncie's Tuhey Pool, that ended pool segregation in 1956.
Everyone was welcome. Tommy finally found something about this place he didn't care for.
“Are you sure about that, Eddie?” Tommy glared at him “By the tone of your voice, and the use of the words 'or his kind' tells me that you're a racist.” Tommy then turned around and walked away.
He did not mention it to Bruce. They were growing closer and closer by the day, but Tommy was not sure how his new friend would take this news. Later that week, Tommy saw an article in the Charleston Gazette about a huge protest that was planned at the pool. Tommy decided to take the plunge into the unknown racial area.
“Bruce, did you see the article about the Rock Lake pool protest,” he asked as the boys were studying.
Bruce lowered his book. “Yeah, I saw it.”
“Well?” Tommy asked.
“Well what?” Bruce replied.
Tommy looked at his new best friend. “We gonna go?”
“Are you like insane, Tommy?”
“Man, you have to walk the walk. What they are doing is not only illegal, but also wrong, wrong, wrong.” Tommy replied.
“Do you realize how much trouble we could get into?” he asked. “Mr. Ethridge would blow a vein if he found out. Last time they protested, those bozos turned the water hoses on them.”
“Been in trouble before,” Tommy laughed. “They say it will be peaceful, not at all like the last protest.”
It took a lot of convincing for Tommy to get Bruce to agree to take the chance.
Two days later the boys met a small group of demonstrators downtown and got a ride to South Charleston.
The boys joined about a hundred others, mostly black in a peaceful protest.
One of the leaders, Marvin Robinson gave a short speech talking about the martyrs of the civil rights movement saying, “If they can give their lives, we can give thirty days. We are ready to give all the time it takes.”
Another man asked those who supported them to stand up. They all stood. He pointed to a young black man. “This man just returned from Vietnam, and he still can't swim here.”
That statement had a profound effect on Tommy. This was wrong.
There were a couple of minor incidents but no serious injuries. It was much calmer than the day before when Rock Lake employees armed themselves with lead pipes and sharp sticks.
Bruce and both Tommy breathed a sigh of relief when the demonstration was over, and they returned to the parking lot to catch their ride back to Charleston.
Protests would continue off and on for some time. The Charleston Gazette would call for calm.
In 1966 the owners would close Rock Lake pool, rather than admit African Americans. It would re-open again and admit them, but business had fallen off considerably. They would eventually close for good.
The boys returned to their studies, confidant that no one from the school knew they had left the downtown area without permission.
The next morning Ray Ethridge was sitting at his desk, enjoying another cup of coffee.
Mrs. Derosa came into his office carrying the morning edition of the Charleston Gazette. She ceremoniously set it down in front of him.
“Did you see this?” she asked, pointing to the headline.
“Yes, I did,” he said. “They are skirting around the law down there. Since the pool is privately owned, they can get away with it. That doesn't mean it's right.”
“That's not what I mean sir,” she exclaimed. “Look at the picture.”
“That's a pretty large group. Looks well organized,” he said calmly.
Mrs. Derosa was getting frustrated.
“Sir, look closely at the picture.”
“It's a nice picture,” he said with a smile.
She finally had to point. “Right here sir.”
He looked closer. “Doesn't do Tommy and Bruce justice, does it?” he smiled broadly.
“Sir, you knew about this?” she asked excitedly.
“Of course I did. I knew before those two kids even left downtown,” he laughed. “Fred Ingham called me when he got wind of it. I still don't know how he found out. I have a feeling that one of the organizers may have called him.”
“I should have known,” she laughed. “There is not much that goes on around here that you don't know about.”
“Lucille, nothing goes on here that I don't know about,” he laughed again. “I asked Fred to drive down there. He stayed in the background but kept his eyes on the boys for me.”
“So, you are not going to do anything? she asked. “They broke a ton of rules going there.”
“No, I am not,” he said. “Tommy and Bruce are way ahead of where I thought they would be. I had a feeling they would become close, but I thought it would take a lot longer,” he smiled.
“These two kids are something else.” Raymond smiled broadly as he handed the paper back to his secretary. “Go ahead and cut the article out for me and put it in Tommy's file,” he said shaking his head. He could not control his smile. This was working out far beyond his expectations.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN - DOG DAYS OF SUMMER
Tommy was still trying to get used to the hot West Virginia
summer weather. For the first time, he started wearing
sunglasses when he was outside.
He continued to work hard on his studies. Tommy spent every spare minute studying, playing basketball, or reading about ham radio.
Sometimes on Sundays Tommy, Bruce and a small group of their friends would walk around downtown, occasionally see a movie at the Capitol or Kearse Theater or have a late lunch at the Quarrier Diner.
Mr. Moorland realized that Tommy was a quick study. As the end of the summer approached, he was doing more advanced electronics and Morse code came to him easily. Mr. Moorland knew Tommy would pass this test with flying colors.
He let Tommy spend some Saturday afternoons with him at WCHS.
Tommy was impressed by all the equipment and actually recognized some of it from his time hanging out at WLBC.
Soon he was helping Mr. Moorland to do some of the minor repairs at the station. Mr. Moorland's 1956 Gray Cadillac also fascinated him. It was in mint condition and Mr. Moorland named it “Rocky”. He was a huge fan of John B. West, who authored a series of detective stories in the 1950's. Former boxer, Congressional Medal of Honor winner, and now Private eye 'Rocky Steele' drove a gray 1956 'Caddy', a gift from a satisfied client. Rocky always carried 'Betsy', his trusted.45 automatic.
Tommy would soon learn the meaning of a 'fun read.'
Tommy studied hard and he played hard. Halfway through the summer he realized that he was the happiest that he had ever been. He loved the mountains, the school, and the many new friends he had made. He had found a home in West Virginia. The only thing missing was Dawn.
August 12, 1965
Dear Tommy,
I miss you so much, but I have great news. I decided since you
were not here this summer that I could also go to summer
school too. I was the only straight A student going to summer school. BUT I got enough summer classes that they tell me I
can SKIP the eighth grade, and
start ninth in the fall.
I stopped by your house yesterday and talked to your mother. She is soooo nice. She told me you are doing well. She wishes you would write home more.
I know you are mad at your dad for sending you away, (and I don't blame you) but your mom had to go along with him. Please do it for me.
I am sooooo proud of you. She told me you don't have enough time off to get home before school starts in the fall, but maybe THANKSGIVING and CHRISTMAS?
Mom and Dad say I should not write to you, that you are trouble. I don't care. Gary says I should write to whomever I want to write. He has changed over the summer.
I love you and miss you, bunches.
Write to me!!!
Love
you,
Dawn
Tommy
could not wait to reply. His mother's letter would have to wait.
August 20, 1965
My dearest Dawn,
Things are going well here. I have made so many new friends.
Actually, I was planning on coming home for a few days before fall term. But each summer they let you spend part of the day in what they call 'Independent Study.' I chose to study for my amateur radio license. I studied hard and now have to go to Pittsburgh and take the FCC exam. The only time they give the test in Pittsburgh is Sept 3. So, Mr. Moorland is taking me for the test, then he will drop me off at Bruce's house in Morgantown. I'll stay the long weekend with them. Then it's back here for the fall term.
As much as I want to come home and see you, I want to take this test. I worked hard for it. I am sure you understand.
I did spend a long weekend with Bruce at his house in Morgantown. His family is great, and we had a good time. They have this huge library. I have never seen so many books in someone's home before. Mrs. Walker said I could borrow any of them that I want.
It was nice to get away from the studies for a couple of days. I look forward to seeing them again.
I want to ask you to do something for me. I want you to tell your parents that you are writing to me. I don't think it's a good idea to sneak around behind their backs.
It's not fair to get your friend Loraine involved in all of this.
The school motto here is, 'On my honor, I will be honest above all things. I will honor the standards of this school. I will not cheat, steal or lie. I will respect my teachers and fellow students at all times. I will be courteous and helpful to strangers. I affirm that everyone is equal, and I am no better than others.'
I think I need to follow that in my life away from school too.
Try being honest. I bet you'll be surprised. I don't think your parents hate me. I just think they are afraid of me and scared that I might hurt you. You know I would never do anything like that. They need to learn that I am a good guy.
Be strong.
All my love,
Tommy
As he finished his last exam, he felt some pride that he had done so well this summer. He was not worried about his grades for the first time in several years. He was ready to go to Pittsburgh and take his FCC exam. Then he could relax for a few days. He looked forward to seeing the Walker's again.
Mr. Moorland greeted Tommy bright and early on the morning of the test. They had a long ride ahead of them, and Keith wanted to spend the entire time drilling Tommy on test answers.
He wanted the boy to pass the test with flying colors.
Soon they arrived in downtown Pittsburgh. Mr. Moorland parked the car and accompanied Tommy into the testing center. They found the room where the tests were being administered.
Tommy, armed with his application form and other completed paperwork, entered the room to take his test. He felt comfortable and was not at all nervous. Mr. Moorland was more nervous than Tommy. Tommy knew the material frontwards and backwards, but the teacher was still apprehensive.
Keith waited for Tommy downstairs. He spent the time pacing the floor.
“Well?” he asked when Tommy reappeared three hours later.
Tommy smiled broadly. “I am sure I passed. The Morse code was a breeze,” he said.
Mr. Moorland smiled broadly. But they would have to wait a few
weeks for the results to arrive via the mail. Hopefully the
letter would contain a brand spanking new Amateur Radio
license
for the young student.
Keith Moorland should not have been worried.
Three weeks later a new Amateur Radio license arrived. Tommy was assigned the call sign WA8MMT. He got an 'A' in his Independent Study.
While Tommy was taking his FCC test, John and Margaret received some surprise visitors.
CHAPTER
THIRTY-EIGHT – VISIT FROM THE HAHN'S Sept 3, 1965
Margaret was in the kitchen loading the breakfast dishes into the dishwasher, when she thought she heard a car door closing. She went to the kitchen window and saw a man walking up to the door with a young girl holding his hand. She looked to be about Tommy's age. She had long auburn hair and walked with a pronounced limp. Margaret had no idea who they were.
She opened the door to greet them before they could ring the bell.
“Can I help you sir?” she asked the stranger.
“Good morning, ma'am, I am Ted Hahn, and this is my daughter Denise. She goes to school with Tommy, and we were hoping we could talk with him,” he said with a smile.
“Come in Mr. Hahn, but I am sorry Tommy is not here,” she said.
Margaret showed them into the kitchen and offered them refreshments. Ted said he would have coffee and Denise just wanted water.
“Mrs. Andrews?” Ted asked, “When will Tommy be home? My daughter and I would like to thank him.”
“Thank him, Mr. Hahn? Whatever for?” she asked.
“It's a long story,” he replied. “If we could talk to Tommy, I am sure you will understand.”
Margaret walked over to the basement door. She opened it and called for John to come up.
Soon John and Tommy's brother appeared at the top of the stairs.
“What's going on?” John asked.
Margaret filled him in. “John, this is Mr. Hahn and his daughter Denise. They want to talk to Tommy.”
John just looked at Ted then over to Denise.
George looked at the girl with a scowl. “What did the little dork do now?” he said with a laugh.
“Well, I am afraid you can't talk to Tommy” John said in a somewhat unfriendly manner. “He doesn't live here anymore.”
A look of confusion and amazement appeared on both of the visitors' faces.
“He doesn't live here anymore?” Ted asked.
“That's what I said,” John replied. “Since that last incident he caused, we sent him away to boarding school. I don't know when or if he will be allowed to return.”
A tear formed in Denise's eyes. She was moving uncomfortably in her chair. “D-D-Daddy,” she exclaimed. A look of despair was on her face.
“It's OK dear,” Ted reached over and patted his daughter's hand.
“Mr. Andrews, may I explain?” he asked John.
“Please do, Mr. Hahn, I sure would like to know what the hell this is about.” John again had the unfriendly tone.
Ted explained about how Tommy had helped Denise during the school play. He then explained about the incident in the hall when Dave Torbin was assaulting her. He told how Tommy had come to her rescue.
“That's all fine and dandy young lady,” John said looking over at Denise. “But Tommy hit a teacher, and now he has to pay the price.”
“But s-s-sir, that teacher grabbed Tommy from behind by both ears. He had no idea it was a teacher,” her voice got a little louder. “H-H-He was defending himself!”
“Tell me,” John asked. “Why tell this story now? Did it take this long to make it up?”
“Mr. Andrews,” Ted interrupted. “We came here to thank your son for a good deed, not to argue with you.” Ted looked directly at John. “And I would rather you not address my daughter with that tone. She does not lie, ever.”
John knew he had overstepped the boundary. “OK, OK,” John replied.
Finally, Margaret stepped in. “Denise, I apologize for my husband.” She shot a nasty look over at John.
“You have to understand,” she continued. “We had a lot of trouble with Tommy and had no choice but to send him away.” Margaret was trying to calm down the situation.
“Tommy's a great kid.” Denise said. “He only got in trouble when he was bullied by that bunch. T-T-T-Those kids at Storer made life in school miserable for Tommy.” She paused and looked down at the table. “And me too.”
Denise then looked at Margaret. “Mrs. Andrews, you have to understand something. The P-P-Principal and all those teachers knew what was going on in that school. Not one of them tried to stop it. Every time T-T-Tommy got in trouble he was defending himself.”
Margaret thought for a moment. “That may be true.” She did not want a confrontation with Mr. Hahn.
“But I do have to ask,” Margaret said in a softer tone. “Why come here now? This happened three months ago.”
“It's all my f-f-fault Mrs. Andrews.” Denise was still in tears. “I did not come forward and tell y dad. I was ashamed of what D-D-David did to me. I didn't want to tell anyone that he touched me in t-t-that way.”
Ted Hahn looked at Margaret. “Let me explain,” he said as he
took Denise by the hand. “This girl is my life. We lost her
mother a year and a half ago, and she is all that I have. She is a
bit on the shy side and frankly is a late bloomer. What
happened to her was devastating. And she had trouble dealing
with it. The poor girl had no one to talk to. Perhaps if her mother
were still alive, it would have been different. I plan to
file a formal complaint with the school. What they did to
Tommy
was wrong. They should give that boy a medal.”
He looked directly at John. “After Denise met Tommy, I noticed a big improvement in her. She seemed happier, the stutter was improving,” he glanced over at Denise and smiled. “It was the first time she was happy since she lost her mother.”
Ted paused to gather his thoughts. Thinking of his late wife was still painful. “And it was all because of Tommy. Tommy was the only real friend she had at that school. It wasn't a boyfriend girlfriend thing. Everyone knew that Tommy had a girlfriend. They were just friends. Then just before school let out for the summer, she changed. She became more distant, and her stutter came back. I didn't know what the cause was, and she would not tell me.”
“I was scared,” Denise cried.
“It took me almost three months to get her to tell me what happened that day,” Ted continued. “As you can see, Denise has a limp, caused by a minor birth defect. She is now grown enough that she can have the corrective surgery, but I told her she could not have the operation until she told me what the problem was.”
Margaret reached over and took Denise’s hand in hers.
“It'll be alright dear, really it will.” Margaret had tears in her eyes.
“I hated to do that,” Ted explained, “but I was at my wits end. So finally last night, she broke down and told me the whole story.”
Ted smiled at Denise. “Now she can deal with it, properly. I am going to arrange for her to transfer to Burris, so she won't have to deal with that bunch at Storer.”
Denise looked at John. “Can I write to Tommy and thank him?”
“No, I don't think that's a good idea. He's doing OK in school and I don't want him distracted.” John quickly said.
“Can I call him? Where is he?” she asked.
“No, you may not call him, and we don't want anyone knowing where he is,” John said flatly.
Denise hung her head. She was hurt and disappointed.
Ted knew that this was quickly becoming a hopeless situation.
“Well, I hope you will pass on our thanks and gratitude to your fine son,” Ted said as he got up from the chair. “Come on sweetheart, at least we tried.” He gave an unfriendly glance at John.
As they walked to their car, Denise looked up at Ted as she held his hand.
“T-T-Thank you daddy, for being you.”
Ted had a tear in his eye. “You're welcome sweetie, you're welcome. I feel sorry for your friend Tommy,” Ted said as he turned back looking toward the house. He gave her a hug and opened the car door.
Margaret looked at John. “So?” was all she could ask.
“So what?” was John's reply. “As far as I am concerned, this conversation never happened. He stays where he is. End of discussion,” he said with a scowl. “Nothing has changed. He is a troublemaker. Frankly, I didn't believe a goddamn word of that story. I am happier this way, George is happier this way. Let Briarwood deal with him.”
“Yeah,” George said with a nasty grin.
Margaret looked down at the table and thought to herself,
'Yes, but I'm miserable.'
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE - FOR AND AGAINST September 5, 1965
The Thurston's were just finishing Sunday dinner when Dawn spoke up.
“Mom,” she said as she looked at Mildred. “There is something I need to tell you and Dad, and you might be mad when I am done.” She looked down at her empty plate.
Gary nudged her arm and gave her a look of support.
“What is it honey?” her mother replied.
“Well, I know you told me not to, but I couldn't help it.” A tear ran down her cheek.
Walter put down his fork. He knew that when his daughter cried, it was serious. He folded his hands together and looked at her.
“You can tell us Dawn, whatever it is,” Mildred said.
There was a long pause and Dawn finally got up the nerve.
“I've been writing to Tommy at his boarding school.”
“You've been doing what?” Walter said with a raised voice. He could not believe what he had just heard.
“I'm sorry daddy, I miss Tommy so much and I wanted to make sure that he was OK.” Dawn was crying harder now. “I was worried about him.”
“Dawn, we are not mad at you,” Mildred said. “I just cannot believe you would go behind our backs like that. We told you we did not want you to write to that boy. That is not at all like you.”
Walter finally spoke. “Dawn, how in the world did you find out where he was?”
“When he left, he gave his mom a note to give to me. She gave me his new address.” Dawn was trying to stop crying.
“Well, I am not happy about this young lady. I wish Margaret had talked to us before giving you that address. You know as well as I do, that boy is trouble,” Mildred said sternly.
“But Mom, you don't know him like I do. He is sweet and caring and wouldn't hurt a fly.”
“Sweetheart,” Walter interrupted, his anger beginning to show. “That sweet and caring boy was suspended from school for hitting a teacher. He would have been on probation at Storer if John and Margaret hadn't sent him away.” He looked straight at Dawn.
“Your mother and I do not think that is the type of boy you should be friends with.” He looked over at Mildred. “Period!”
Mildred knew Walter was getting madder by the second. “Walter, calm down.”
“Dawn, I am not happy that you went against our wishes. There will be consequences for that,” Mildred said. “I suggest you go to your room and let your father and I discuss this. Punishment is in order for this.”
Dawn got up from the table, tears again streaming down her cheeks. “It's not fair,” she yelled as she ran from the room in tears.
Gary started to get up from his chair. It did not go as he had expected.
“Not so fast, young man,” his mother pointed at the chair. “You and your sister are as close as two peas in a pod,” she smiled at her son. “I don't believe for a second that she did this without talking to you. So, what do you know about all this?”
Gary sat back down. He looked at his mother, then his father.
“Look, I am no Tommy Andrews fan. We've never gotten along. To be honest, that's probably as much my fault as his. I never gave him a chance. Obviously, Dawn sees something in Tommy that we don't. I say let's give the kid a break. He is three hundred miles away. What harm can he do?” Gary paused for effect. “And besides, it was Tommy's idea for Dawn to tell you. Dawn did talk to me about it. She's been mailing letters to him from Loraine's house. I know I should have told you, but Dawn asked me not to.”
“We will deal with that in a moment, young man,” Walter said.
“Dad, Dawn let me read her letters from Tommy. He seems to be doing well at this new school, and he says he is happy there. He told Dawn that the school creed is 'honesty above all else', so he told her that it wasn't fair to put Loraine in the middle of all this. He told her it wasn't right for her to go behind your backs. Let's give him some credit for that. I still think there is a lot more to that 'suspension' story than we know. In fact, I've heard that from several people.” Gary continued. “And I know this is none of my business, but there's something wrong in that house up the street. I don't know what it is, but I just get this feeling. I don't think it's Tommy that's the problem. Remember, I hung out with George for a while until I realized what a jerk he is.”
Walter thought for a moment. “Son, you do have a point, although sometimes I think it's at the top of your head,” he said with a smile.
“Dad, you both raised me and Dawn to make good choices. If Dawn sees something in Tommy that we don't, maybe we should try to find out what it is. We owe it to her, and to him.
Dawn is a good kid, and I don't think she would choose a boy like Tommy without a darn good reason. Besides, long distance relationships hardly ever wok out. It might become a moot point in six months or a year. But don't you owe Dawn a chance to find out? I know she’s stuck on this kid. I don't want to see her get her heart broken, even if it is a part of growing up.”
“Mildred,” Walter said. He had calmed down considerably. “We really don't know that much about the boy. He has always been polite when he has been around us.”
Mildred smiled. “Dear, Eddie Haskel was polite too. Would you want Dawn to date him?”
Walter chuckled at the joke. “No, I would not. But Tommy's actions at school just don't seem to match the person we saw. Gary might be right, maybe there is more to this than we know. I'm just not sure what to do about it.”
“Well, I have a start,” Mildred said firmly. “We ground Dawn for two weeks for going behind our backs, and for the way she stormed out of here.”
"Mom, that's not fair!” Gary exclaimed.
Walter looked at his son. “And we ground Gary for a week for not telling us about it.” He paused. “And another week for raising his voice.” Gary started to say something but had second thoughts.
“We are the parents, young man. We don't expect it to be fair.”
Mildred smiled at Gary. “Go get your sister.”
Gary went to Dawn's room.
Mildred looked over at Walter. “I asked Margaret what happened at that school, and I got the feeling that she did not want to tell me.”
Walter just shook his head.
“I think tomorrow I will go visit Storer. I need to find out what went on before we allow Dawn to spend a lot of time with that boy. I should probably talk to Margaret again. We have not talked much since Tommy's incident. We've been ignoring the situation.”
“I agree, dear,” Walter said. “Letters are one thing, but spending time together is something else altogether.”
Dawn was lying on her bed still in tears. “Come on sis, I did the best I could.”
Gary took his sisters hand, and they walked down the hall.
As they sat down in the kitchen, both Mildred and Walter were smiling.
“Dawn,” Mildred said. “For going behind our backs, you are grounded for two weeks. Gary gets the same punishment.”
Gary stopped Dawn from speaking. “Don't say anything sis, that's how I got the second week.”
Mildred continued. “Now Dawn, you can write to Tommy if you must. Your father and I do trust you.”
Dawn smiled for the first time. “Really?”
“Yes, and we will see how it goes. I won't violate your privacy by insisting that we read your letters, but you will keep us informed on how he is doing. You understand? No more secrets. We don't do that in this house.”
“I understand Mom,” she said with a smile. “I'm sorry. I know I should have talked to you about it first.”
“And if Tommy is doing well, maybe at Thanksgiving you can spend some time with him. But it will be with our supervision. Is that fair enough?” she smiled at her daughter.
“Yes, yes, yes. Thank you.” Dawn said with excitement.
“If you are going to be friends with him, I think your mother and I need to get to know him better,” Walter said as he smiled at Dawn.
“Now, you two troublemakers get out of here so your father and I can talk.” Mildred said with a smile as she motioned her two youngsters to leave the room.
Gary was the first one out of the room. As Dawn got to the doorway, her mother called to her.
“Dawn.”
As she turned around, Mildred smiled at her daughter.
“Honey, we do trust you. You are a smart girl, and I know you will make the right choices.”
“Thanks mom, I appreciate that,” Dawn said.
“And by the way, young lady,” Walter said. “You owe your brother for this. He talked us into it.”
Dawn smiled broadly and left the room.
PART THREE - NINTH GRADE
CHAPTER FORTY – NINTH GRADE FALL 1965
Tommy spent the rest of the break with the Walkers. He and Mrs. Walker spent a lot of time in the library talking about books. Tommy and Bruce laid around the pool in the afternoons.
Tommy read another one of Mrs. Walker's books, another political novel by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey. 'Convention' was all about a delegate to a national political convention. Like 'Seven Days In May', Tommy thoroughly enjoyed it. In the evenings, they were treated to Mrs. Walkers excellent home cooking. Tommy liked the food at school, but this was something extra special. He found himself trying foods that he thought he would never like.
The minute that Mr. Walker dropped the boys off at school, Tommy ran to the mailboxes to check on mail from home. Included with the regular stuff from his mother, there was another letter from Muncie.
Tommy noticed that the return address had Dawns name on it and her real address. He ripped the envelope open.
Sept 6, 1965
Dearest Tommy,
I have been arguing with my mom and dad about seeing you when you come home for Thanksgiving.
They agreed that you can come down Thanksgiving, and we can spend the afternoon together.
I took your advice and told them that I was writing to you. At first Dad was mad, but Gary pointed out that you did not want me to sneak around and do anything behind their backs. He told mom that telling them was your idea.
But I still got grounded for two weeks.
They just need to get to know you better and see you the way I do. I want them to see that loving and caring person that I see.
You'll see, they will grow to love you like I do. Well, not entirely like I do.
I wish that you had been able to come home for a few days, but I understand. You worked hard studying for this test, and I am sure you did well.
Your mother told me about your grades. All A's !!!! I am soooooo proud of you!!!!! I knew you could do it!!!
I miss you terribly.
Love
Dawn
The fall term was upon them.
Tommy entered the new semester with the same drive and determination he had over the summer. He felt at home now and was comfortable in his new surroundings.
He was growing to love this city and the independence from his parents that the school provided.
He was glad to have some of the same teachers he had gotten to know over the summer.
Bruce was thrilled to be in three classes with Tommy. The boys would share Math, Science and English.
Tommy knew it would be a tough semester. Classes were shorter but there were more of them.
He liked Mrs. Lopez and knew he would enjoy Spanish. The other new teacher was Mr. Johnson, who was also the new basketball coach. He made it clear on the first day how the class would be run.
“Men,” he said. “West Virginia requires three semesters of Physical Education in order to graduate.”
Everyone moaned.
“But they do not dictate what we do,” he smiled. “We are grooming college students here, not athletes.”
“So we will spend thirty minutes a day, running.”
Everyone moaned.
“Guys, it’s good for you. I see T.C. here almost every day, and no one makes him come.”
Someone in the back spoke up.
“Good, let him run.”
Everyone laughed including Mr. Johnson.
“We will set up the Volleyball net and some of you can exercise with it.” He paused.
“Since I am also the Basketball coach, rules dictate that we can’t teach that during class.”
Everyone moaned again.
Mr. Johnson walked closer to the group.
“However, come October 15, anyone who makes the basketball team will be excused from gym class.”
He had Tommy’s attention.
So, they ran. Tommy loved it. This went on for several weeks. Tommy all of a sudden realized that he was always leading the pack. Most days he would stay after class and shoot baskets with some of the guys. Mr. Johnson did not participate but was seen most days by the rear door, watching.
One weekend Tommy was deep into chatting on the ham radio, when he heard a Puerto Rican station calling ‘CQ’, the universal code for 'calling any station'. He answered and without thinking did so in Spanish. This led to a regular Sunday chat with his new friend Ivan. W4CPV was patient with Tommy’s broken Spanish and helped him with accent and phrasing. He would go a long way in helping Tommy not only get an 'A' but fall in love with the language.
Tommy was able to talk Mr. Moorland into letting him borrow a short-wave receiver that he could use in his room. Although he could not talk on it, he could listen to the Spanish language broadcasts from all over the world.
Since they were on the top floor. Tommy was able to convince some of the other boys to help him put an antenna on the roof. They had to make it as invisible as possible so the school would not see it.
Bruce just sat there shaking his head. One thing he could say about his roommate. 'Never a dull moment.'
Tommy loved his routine. He worked hard but was having the time of his life. He had many friends, school was great, and most of all, he was learning.
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE – CHARLESTON ROCKETS
September 18, 1965
Tommy was looking forward to the weekend. He had studied hard all week and wanted to relax just a bit.
He and Bruce were in the cafeteria finishing breakfast. Tommy had told Bruce that he was going over to the I.A. Building to spend some time with the Amateur Radio station.
Jeremy and David saw them from across the room and soon joined them.
“Hey guys, you interested in going to a pro football game?” David said.
“No, not me,” Bruce replied shaking his head. “Sports is more Tommy's thing than mine.
“Well, I scored a couple extra tickets to the Rockets game over at Laidley field, if you wanna come.” David replied.
Tommy had been following the undefeated Rockets in the 'Gazette'. He wanted to see a game but had not had the time until now. He had already missed two home games as he had too much homework one weekend, and the other weekend he was in Morgantown with Bruce. This was perfect timing.
“Yeah, I would love to go,” Tommy said excitedly.
“It's a pretty good walk from here, but it'll be worth it,” Jeremy piped into the conversation.
The Charleston Rockets were in their first year of the new Continental Football League and played their games at Laidley field not far from downtown Charleston.
So far, the 'Rockets' had won their first four games of the season. Today they would be taking on the 'Wheeling Ironmen.'
“You know the last time they played here; they walloped Newark thirty-eight to nothing,” Tommy said.
“Yeah,” Jeremy laughed. “Thanks to their defense scoring three times.”
They talked a bit more about the Rockets season and made plans to meet later for the long walk over to Laidley field.
“You sure you don't want to go Bruce?” Tommy asked as they walked back to the elevators.
Tommy did not want to exclude his best friend.
“Tommy, it's OK. I got stuff to do,” Bruce laughed. “You can tell me all about it later.”
By the time they were ready to leave for the long walk to Laidley Field, word had spread around 'The Holley'. Soon the group of three grew to a group of ten.
Tommy had been to a few Muncie Central football games at 'Ball Recreational Field,' but Muncie was not a football city. He was not prepared to see eighty-five hundred people jammed into the bleachers at Ladley Field.
He marveled at the huge model rocket that was at one end of the field.
The whole group enjoyed themselves. It was nice to get away from school for a few hours.
For the first time in several weeks, Tommy forgot about his father, his brother and the city of Muncie.
The 'Rockets' would stay undefeated as they easily defeated Wheeling by a score of thirty-one to seven. Quarterback Ron Miller completed thirteen out of nineteen passes for a hundred and sixty-nine yards and two touchdowns. The crowd went wild.
It was a long walk and Tommy was dead tired when they got back to 'The Holley.'
He found Bruce in the recreation room.
“Man, you should have been with us,” Tommy exclaimed. “They kicked some Iron Man butt.” Tommy went on to tell Bruce all about the game.
Bruce didn't really care about the game, but he was thrilled to see his friend happy.
Tommy and his friends would attend several more Rocket games as their busy schedule allowed. They would help the city cheer them on to an undefeated fifteen-win season.
The topper would come in a 24 to 7 win over Toronto in the CFL championship game on a windy Sunday afternoon at Laidley Field.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO – A VISIT WITH MARGARET
Margaret was surprised to see Mildred when she opened the front door. They had not seen much of each other since Tommy's incident. They both had been keeping their distance from each other, as either wanted to discuss the kids. The whole situation had definitely strained their friendship.
“Hello Margaret,” Mildred said with a smile. “Can we talk?”
“Yes, I think that would be nice. We've been sort of avoiding each other,” Margaret smiled as they sat down at the kitchen table.
“I thought it might be easier, but maybe I was wrong,” Mildred said. “I was a little mad at you or giving Tommy's address to Dawn.”
“Mildred, I knew you would be upset if I gave it to her. I didn't want to go behind your back. I'm sorry, but after Tommy left, she was so distraught. She came up to see me when she heard that Tommy had been sent away. I gave her a note that Tommy had left for her. She cried and cried when she read it. I could not help myself. She is such a gem. I see why Tommy likes her so much.”
“It's OK,” Mildred said with a sigh. “At first, I was upset. This whole thing makes no sense to me. Poor Dawn has not been herself since it all happened. Things did get better when Walter and I decided to let her write to Tommy,” she smiled. “But we are still undecided on how much time they should spend together.”
Margaret started to cry.
“Tommy was so lost, and he became uncontrollable,” Margaret said through her tears. “But he seems to be a changed youngster since he went away.”
“Dawn tells us he is doing well in Charleston,” Mildred said with a smile. “Is he?”
Margaret perked up.
“Yes, he is doing great at Briarwood. He got all 'A's this summer,” Margaret smiled as she stood up. “Let me show you something.”
She walked over to a small bookcase where she kept her cookbooks and mail. She handed Mildred a note she had received from the school.
“This is from Tommy's counselor at Briarwood,” she said as she handed the note to Mildred.
Sept 20, 1965
Dear Mr. & Mrs. Andrews
Please allow me to introduce myself.
I am the student counselor at Briarwood Academy. I wanted to take a moment to update you on the progress that young Tommy has made since he arrived here in Charleston.
I know that Mr. Ethridge has told you how well your son is doing academically. However, I am more centered on the social aspects of our students lives and guiding them on their college choices.
I started seeing T.C. (as he is called) when he first arrived in June. We spend about an hour every Friday afternoon just chatting about his life, his studies and how well he is adjusting at Briarwood.
I want you to know that he is a pure joy to be around.
The students all love him, and his teachers rave about his academic performance.
He has fit in so well, and he seems to be extremely happy and content.
Except for missing a certain young lady back home.
Since he has been here, Tommy has made many new friends.
All of his teachers tell me that he is a model student and a great addition to our little Briarwood community.
But I must admit something to you. When Mr. Ethridge sent me his file the day Tommy arrived, it scared me. I wasn't sure if this student would fit in with all of us. I did not see much hope for his future.
It did not take me long to discover how wrong I was.
From the moment I met Tommy, I realized that he is just the opposite of what was in that file. He is one of the kindest, most caring, and well-rounded teenagers I think I have ever met.
He is a joy.
You both should be extremely proud of T.C. and what he is accomplishing here. I know how proud I am.
His future is brighter than ever.
He is a very special young man.
Warmest regards,
Janice Reitz
Briarwood Academy
Mildred looked up from the letter. Tears began to form in her eyes.
“Wow, Margaret,” Mildred smiled. “Doesn't sound like the same child, does it?”
“No, it doesn't,” Margaret said with a smile.
“It sounds to me like sending him away was a good thing.” Mildred said as she handed the note back to her neighbor.
“As hard as it was, I get the feeling that getting him away from John, his brother, and that school was the best and only thing we could have done,” she laughed. “But don't tell them I said that.”
“I will need to discuss this with Walter. We were willing to let Dawn write to Tommy, but we were undecided about how much time she could spend with him. This changes everything. We told her that she could spend Thanksgiving afternoon with him but that was it.”
“John and I are arguing about that. John wants him to stay in Charleston and study. I want him to come home,” Margaret sighed. “John is still thinking about it.”
“Well, Dawn will be crushed, but Christmas isn't that far away.”
“It is to me,” Margaret said dejectedly.
They talked a bit more about the kids, and how well Tommy was doing. Mildred felt much better about the situation.
As she left, Mildred gave Margaret a hug.
“I don't know how you coped with all this,” she said. “Sending that child away must have been so hard for you.”
“Yes, it was Mildred. It was the hardest thing I have ever done. As mad as I was about what happened, it broke my heart to take my son down to the bus station that morning. But it was something we just had to do. Tommy was lost here. He hated school and he hated this city. Dawn as the only thing here that he loved,” Margaret started to cry.
“Thank God for your little girl, Mildred. Everything Tommy is doing he does for Dawn. He misses her something terrible,” Margaret paused. “She may have saved my son's life.”
“Well, you should know that both Dawn and her brother have been lobbying Walter and I to give Tommy a chance. Based on what I see today, maybe they're right. They both tell me that there is a lot more to what happened than anyone knows.”
Margaret smiled, thinking back to a young and scared Denise. “Smart kids you have, Mildred.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE – YOU CAN'T GO HOME AGAIN
As the weather started to get cooler, and the leaves began to change to a mixture of bright colors, Tommy continued to study hard. He also worked out daily.
During his last class on a Friday, Tommy was given a note asking him to come see Mr. Ethridge as soon as possible.
This time he was not worried. He looked forward to these meetings with his mentor.
Mrs. Derosa greeted Tommy with a huge smile.
“Hi T.C., haven’t seen much of you lately. How have you been?” She asked.
“Just fine ma'am, just fine.” Tommy smiled. “Most times Mr. Ethridge and I get together on Saturday mornings, because we are both so busy.”
Mr. Ethridge appeared at his office door.
“Tommy, come on in,” he said with a huge smile.
“Thank you sir, how are you?” Tommy asked.
“Just fine son. Busy as usual, and you?” He asked.
“Things could not be better. I am enjoying my classes this term.” Tommy smiled.
“That’s because of all the hard work you do, son.” He smiled at his student. “It makes a huge difference when you are doing well. Makes classes a lot easier to enjoy.”
“Correct sir.” Tommy laughed.
Mr. Ethridge turned serious. “There is a reason I asked you to come in,” he said.
Tommy looked at him. He knew something bad was about to happen.
“I know you are looking forward to going home for Thanksgiving.” Ray said.
“Yes sir, I can’t wait to see Dawn. It’s been five months.” Tommy said excitedly.
“I know son, I talked to your mother this morning. You know I try to call her every now and again just to let her know how well you are doing.”
“Yes sir.” Tommy replied, still wondering what was going on.
“I called her to see if they wanted us to arrange your transportation home for the Thanksgiving Holiday,” he paused. “She told me she and your father talked it over and did not see the need for you to spend two days on a bus to only be home for three days.”
Tommy still did not understand.
“They want you to stay here for Thanksgiving and not come home until Christmas.”
Tommy was stunned. It was last June all over again. He tried not to get mad. He just sat on the chair and stared ahead. He did not want his mentor to see any emotion.
“Tommy, I am so sorry. I tried to talk her out of it, but she said your father is firm on this. He wants you to stay here and study.” Ethridge felt worse than Tommy.
Finally, Tommy spoke. “Well sir, I can’t say I am surprised.”
Mr. Ethridge leaned closer. “I want you to know, if June and I were not going to my brothers for the Holiday, you would be welcome to have Thanksgiving with us.”
Tommy smiled. “That’s kind of you sir, but I’ll be all right.”
“Many other students will be staying here. You will not be alone.” Ethridge said.
“Sir, around here, I am never alone. That's what I love about this place.” Tommy smiled.
They talked some more about Tommy’s progress reports from his teachers. Again, Tommy was getting 'A's in all of his classes.
Tommy walked back to his room, wondering how he was going to tell Dawn. He knew she was excited about him coming home, even if they only got one afternoon together.
Bruce was as upset as Tommy. He immediately invited Tommy to spend the Holiday with him and his family.
“Come on' man, you know you are more than welcome. Mom has this huge dinner with lots of family and friends from the University. It'll be a blast. Susan would be thrilled if you came,”
Bruce begged.
Tommy said he would love to go.
October 13, 1965
Dearest Dawn,
I am so so sorry. I just found out that my dad doesn't want me coming home for Thanksgiving.
Mom talked to the headmaster and told him that dad wanted me to stay here and study. I guess I still can't satisfy him. Although, I would have thought that straight A's would have done the trick.
He decided that two days on a bus was stupid, just to be home for three days. So, I have to stay here.
Actually, I don't think he ever wants me to come home, and if it weren't for you, I would honor that request.
I want you to know that I would spend two days on a bus just to see you for five minutes. I miss you that much.
Bruce wants me to go with him to Morgantown, so I guess I will go with him. At least I will be with someone.
And they are wonderful people. I think his little sister has a crush on me. But you don't have to worry.
I will be forever yours!!!
I do get two weeks off at Christmas and that is not that far away. I promise I will be there. Nothing will keep me away.
Love, Tommy
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR -- SEEING MRS. REITZ
Tommy was just leaving Spanish class when Mrs. Lopez stopped him. She wanted to speak with him.
“Thomas, puede venir aquà por un momento, por favor?” she asked.
“SÃ, la señora López,” Tommy replied.
She handed Tommy a note excusing him from gym class that day. He was to go see Mrs. Reitz at three thirty.
Tommy knew immediately that Mrs. Reitz had learned about his father refusing to let him come home for Thanksgiving. He knew that Mr. Ethridge was worried about him and asked Mrs. Reitz to talk to him. Mr. Ethridge had indeed talked to Mrs. Reitz. She told Raymond that Bruce had already filled her in on the situation.
Tommy arrived at the Administration building right on time. He had not talked to Mrs. Reitz for a few weeks. She felt that Tommy was doing so well that there was no need for a weekly meeting.
“Tommy, come right in,” she said with a smile. “I'm glad you stopped by.”
“You sent me a note,” Tommy said as he smiled.
“Yes, I did son. I heard about what happened and I thought perhaps we should discuss it. I was hoping that you would come in on your own.”
“I'm sorry ma'am, I thought about it. I started over here three times. I didn't want to bother you with my family troubles.”
“Son, you need to stop thinking like that. “You are never a bother. This is why we are here. All your teachers, the staff, and every employee at this school are here to help you.”
She motioned for him to have a seat.
“Briarwood is more than just learning Tommy. Briarwood wants to help you grow as a person as well as a student. We are here to help you get ready for your future. These are the most important years of your life, and if you are in pain we all want to help.”
Tommy sat down in the chair across from Mrs. Reitz. He looked down and sighed.
“I just don't know what I did wrong,” Tommy said softly. “I came here, I studied hard all summer. I stayed out of trouble, and I got straight A's.” he sighed again. “I did everything my father wanted me to do, and it still isn't good enough.”
He looked up at her.
“Mrs. Reitz, what do I have to do to get that man to love me?” Tommy was trying hard to hold back the tears. He vowed that he would not cry.
Mrs. Reitz got up from behind the desk and walked around to the chair beside Tommy. She sat down.
“Tommy, I truly wish I had the answer for that question. All I can do is perhaps help you to understand it, and maybe deal with it.”
Tommy hung his head again.
“I wanted to go home and see Dawn. It's so unfair. It's the one thing I've looked forward to since last June.”
“Tommy let me ask you something,” Mrs. Reitz looked directly at Tommy. “If Dawn lived here in Charleston, would you still want to go home to Indiana?”
Tommy didn't hesitate.
“Ma'am, if Dawn wasn't there, I would never set foot in that town again.” Tommy said firmly.
“Why do you say that?” she asked.
Tommy thought for a second.
“Because I have nothing there to return to. My father hates me, my mother always takes his side, and my brother,” he paused and looked at Mrs. Reitz. He could not find the words. “My brother and I have nothing,” was all he could say. Then he added. “Mrs. Reitz, I love my mom, I do. But that's not enough. The bad outweighs the good. Honestly, if it wasn't for Dawn, I would never go home again.”
Mrs. Reitz knew that this boy had a lot of pent-up emotions that she had been unable to uncover.
“Is that because they sent you here?” she asked.
“No, I think they did me a favor sending me away. I am happy here, except for missing Dawn,” he smiled for a second. “When I lived at home, I spent most of my time in my room. I
read everything I could get my hands on. I escaped,” he paused. “Then I met Dawn.”
“And?” Mrs. Reitz asked.
“Meeting her gave me a reason to get up every morning,” he smiled again. “She gives me a reason to put one foot in front of the other and get through my day. She is my whole world.”
“But Tommy, you have a world here too,” she replied.
“Yes ma'am, I do. I love it here. But I do it for Dawn and me. When I first came here, I thought I had lost her forever. But she wrote to me, and we have been writing ever since. I want to see her more than anything in this world. I know some time in the future we will be together. That's what keeps me going.”
“What about your brother? You said you have nothing? No relationship?” she asked.
“George has always been dad's favorite, and he knows it. I was always just the 'little dork' to him.” he paused as if in thought. “I don't think we have ever played together or had any real conversations. I remember once we got into this argument and he told me he wished I'd never been born,” Tommy hesitated. He would never forget that day. “We lived in the same house, yet we lived in two different worlds.” Tommy paused again. “I remember when I was a kid, Dad got George this huge H.O. train set for Christmas. He set up a big layout in the basement for George. I was so excited until George told me to keep my hands off of his train set.”
“How does your father react to your relationship with George?” she asked.
Tommy did not know how to answer that question.
“I don't know. My dad is the most distant person I have ever known. At least he is with me. I don't think he gives a damn.” He realized that he had used an inappropriate word.
“Sorry Mrs. Reitz, I didn't mean to say it that way.”
“Tommy it's all right. I want you to be totally honest with me. I am here to help you, not correct your language. We'll leave that up to Mr. Ethridge.” She smiled then continued. “And how does your brother get along with your dad?”
“They seem to be best friends. They do everything together. Hunting, fishing, bowling and they watch all the games on TV,” Tommy replied.
“Do you join them?”
“No ma'am, they never ask me to join them in any of it. That's why I read so much.”
“You never do anything with them?” she could not believe this story.
“Nope, never.” he looked down at the floor.
“I just don't know what I did to make them hate me so much.” he was almost in tears.
“Tommy, do you think it's because of all the trouble you got into?”
“No ma'am. I am positive. This started long before we moved to Indiana, and I started to get into trouble. I was about nine or ten years old. All of a sudden, I felt like I didn't belong in the family anymore. When dad sent me here,” he paused. “I knew it.”
“Did anything happen when you were nine or ten that may have affected your relationship?”
Tommy thought for a moment. “Not that I can remember. I was about ten when my grandfather passed away. He really loved me,” he smiled in thought. “He lived up in Chester and I spent a lot of time with him.”
Mrs. Reitz was trying to connect the dots in Tommy's life story. It wasn't easy. There was too much of the puzzle missing. She knew they were important pieces.
“Tommy I would need months of sessions with your father and brother to figure them out, so I am going to concentrate on what I can do for you.” she smiled.
“Thank you, ma'am. I guess we should have kept up our Friday talks. I must be more screwed up than I thought I was.”
Mrs. Reitz laughed. “Tommy, there is nothing wrong with you. You are the most well-adjusted, honest and caring teenager I think I have ever met. You are independent and self-assured. You have come here, and you have prospered. You have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to apologize for. All of us here at Briarwood are proud of you.”
Tommy had a look of confusion. “So why am I so messed up?”
“You are not messed up Tommy. Honest. Now as far as your brother and father go,” she paused then smiled. “I think they are the ones who are messed up.”
And for the first time in this conversation, Tommy laughed. He liked this woman, and more importantly, he trusted her.
But that's the way it was at Briarwood. He could trust everyone. All his teachers, the staff, all the students. They were all his friends.
“Tommy, you are going to be fifteen next February, correct?” she asked.
“Yes ma'am, February eighth.” Tommy replied.
“I want you to think about what I am going to say. Do not say anything. I just want you to think about it. OK?” She smiled.
“Yes ma'am, I will,” Tommy replied.
Mrs. Reitz paused. She wanted to say this carefully.
"Tommy, after your fifteenth birthday, you have three years, before you are eighteen and on your own. You will be an adult. Then it won't matter. It's not that far away. The time will fly by. It will be a small part of your life. I have a feeling you are going to get a full academic scholarship to any school you want to go to. I'm going to work extremely hard to help get you that scholarship. As independent as you are, you will survive just fine. As much as you want to, you cannot make someone love you. But that is not your fault. All you can do is your best. You've done that your entire time here at Briarwood. Maybe in time, your father and brother will realize what they have lost by not having a relationship with you. If they don't, remember that it is not your fault. I want you to concentrate on staying here until you graduate. Get that education that you deserve. Get ready for the rest of your life. Don't let anyone or anything stand in your way.”
Tommy smiled. He got it. It wasn't his fault. He had never considered staying at Briarwood past ninth grade. He would need to think hard about that idea.
“Tommy you are a great kid. Don't ever forget that. Everyone in this school loves you. All the students, the teachers, even 'old sour puss' Mr. Ingham raves about you and Bruce.”
Tommy laughed, he liked 'old sour puss.' And he wasn't that old.
“Son, just keep doing what you've been doing. Be who you are. Be the T.C. that everyone here adores.”
He nodded his head. Mrs. Reitz got up. When Tommy got out of the chair, she hugged him.
They would return to their weekly chat for another few months. It would help Tommy deal with his situation and help to remove some the guilt he had been carrying around on his shoulders.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE – SEEING WEST VIRGINIA October 25, 1965
Tommy took out his frustrations in the gym. Working out seemed to help.
Early on a Saturday morning, there was a knock on his door. Tommy answered it to find Mr. Kremer standing before him.
“Good morning, Tommy, are you busy today?” he asked.
“No sir, not at all. I was planning on going to the gym, and maybe the I.A. building.” he replied.
“Well, son. I have noticed that you don't get out much, and you seem to be a bit down in the dumps lately,” he laughed. “So, I am kidnapping you for the day. Let's go.”
Tommy had no idea what was going on, but the trust he had in this teacher was monumental.
He got his jacket.
Mrs. Kremer was waiting for them downstairs.
“Hello Tommy, it's nice to see you again,” she said.
“Thank you, Mrs. Kremer, same here,” he replied with a smile.
Mrs. Kremer looked at Tommy. “You, young man have been here five months and have not been out of the downtown area one time, except to go to Morgantown.” she smiled broadly.
Mr. Kremer smiled. “We are going to change that today. You need to get out and see some of this wonderful state. The leaves are changing colors, it's a beautiful fall day, and you need some time off.” he said.
“That sounds like fun. The only part of West Virginia I have ever seen is up around Chester, where my folks are from,” he said excitedly.
He remembered visiting his grandfather in Chester.
Tommy swore he could still smell the scent of his pipe tobacco. When Tommy visited, they would spend hours on T. R's back porch overlooking the Ohio River, just talking about life, the river, and the mountains. They would watch as the ore boats headed upriver towards Pittsburgh.
Long freight trains full of coal would roll by on the tracks at the bottom of the hill by the river, black smoke pouring from the locomotive's smokestack. Tommy loved to watch T.R.'s two goats as they kept the grass on the steep hillside neatly trimmed. From the back porch you could look across the river and see Ohio as well as Pennsylvania to the north.
They would watch the cars as they crossed the Ohio River to East Liverpool on the Chester Bridge. T.R. loved the mountains and the river more than anything. T.R. would tell Tommy stories about growing up in West Virginia in the late 1800's and early 1900's. Tommy loved to hear the tales of when cars first arrived, and airplanes were new. He marveled at the old wooden telephone that hung on the wall in the stairway near the kitchen. You had to use a hand crank to
summon the operator.
They would walk down Carolina Avenue to the 'World's Largest Tea Pot' and have a hot dog, then stroll over to 'Rock Springs Park' for the afternoon. Rock Springs had been a landmark Amusement Park in Chester since 1897. T.R. enjoyed watching his grandson on the rides. He loved to see a smile on little Tommy's face.
However, when Tommy was ten years old Thomas Robert Andrews passed away as he sat on the back porch in his chair, looking at the river he loved so much. Tommy missed him terribly.
T.R. never told anyone that he was ill with a heart condition, not even his son John.
Thinking of T.R. always made Tommy sad. His grandfather told Tommy many times that he would always take care of him, and now he was gone.
Mrs. Kremer noticed the odd look on Tommy's face.
“You all right, son?” she asked.
Tommy smiled. “Yes ma'am, I was just thinking about my Grand Dad.”
They piled into Mr. Kremer's Pontiac and off they went. It was the fall, and the leaves were spectacular. Tommy had never seen such vivid colors. The mountains were beautiful. For the first time since his arrival, he actually paid attention to the scenery as they drove.
They drove for what seemed like hours. Up and down small country roads. Occasionally they would stop, get out of the car and just admire the foliage.
As they drove, Mr. Kremer gave Tommy some short lessons on West Virginia History.
They wound their way through the state and found a small restaurant in the little town of Monongah. It was a small mining town in Central West Virginia near Fairmont and was famous for a huge mining disaster.
Mr. Kremer gave Tommy another history lesson.
“It was on December 6,1907 when a methane explosion erupted in Mines 6 & 8, killing over 360 workers, many of them Italian immigrants. It is widely described as the "worst mining disaster in American History.”
As they sat down at the table, a young girl who looked to be about Tommy's age came over.
She looked familiar, but Tommy could not place her. As she walked over to the table, Tommy swore to himself that he had seen this girl before. Perhaps in another life he thought. She had long blond hair and a pretty smile.
“Hello, my name is Penny Nichols. Can I get you folks something to drink?”
“I like the name.” Tommy smiled at her.
Penny laughed and replied. “Yeah, my parents are a bit twisted. My middle name is Ann.”
Tommy could not help but laugh. “I'm sorry, but that is twisted.” he said to her.
Penny smiled back at Tommy and nodded her head.
Tommy ordered a soda, and the Kremer's wanted coffee. Penny explained the menu.
They all ordered the Hot Roast Beef sandwich, and homemade apple pie for dessert.
Tommy commented that all the selections sounded good.
“You should come back tomorrow, when we have fried chicken.” Penny laughed as she turned to go place their orders.
When Penny brought their food, Mr. Kremer spoke up.
“Nice little town you have here. Forgive me for asking, but aren't you a little young to be working here?”
Penny laughed. “Sir, I don't work here. I just help out my grandmother. She owns the place. But afternoons get a bit busy for her, so I try to help out when I can, especially on weekends. My dad owns the grocery store across the street.”
Mr. Kremer noticed that Penny seemed to be paying a lot of attention to Tommy.
“Tommy, I think that girl has taken a liking to you.” he said with a smile.
“Sorry, Mr. Kremer, I am a one-woman man.” Tommy laughed.
When he returned from his day with the Kremers, there was a letter from Dawn.
October 20, 1965
Dear Tommy,
I cried when I got your letter. My mom suggested I go up and talk to your mom, and maybe they would change their minds. She even went with me!!
I told your mom, that it was unfair not to let you come home for Thanksgiving. But she said your dad was firm on this, and that I would have to wait until Christmas to see you.
I don't think your mom agreed with your dad's decision.
My folks are happy about your good grades. They seemed to be surprised. I wasn't. I knew you could do it. But they were pleased and happy that you are doing well.
I am working on my mom, to let me spend a lot of time with you at Christmas. I can't wait.
All my love
Dawn
xxxxxooooooo
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX – ALLEY CATS
DEC 4, 1965
Tommy and Bruce spent the early evening after dinner doing a bit of shopping. It was warm for early December, and both boys wanted to get out of 'The Holley'. Bruce wanted to find his mother something for Christmas and asked Tommy to tag along. Tommy looked and looked for something for Dawn but came away empty handed.
They were on their way back, when they took a short cut down a side street. They knew they could cut over through the next alley and chop about five minutes off their walk.
As they went through the alley, Tommy saw two boys coming from the opposite direction.
One of them wore a Charleston High School jacket. He looked like a football player.
As they passed, one of the boys grabbed Bruce.
“Hey, you're that Briarwood nigger that likes to room with white boys,” he laughed. The other boy stood in front of Tommy so he could not reach his friend.
“Yeah, we heard all about you two. It's all over town. The nigger and the nigger lover.”
“Come on fellows, we don't want any trouble,” Tommy said quietly.
“Oh, you got trouble boy. We don't like people who hang around with niggers. That makes you a nigger too,” the other boy laughed.
“Well, at least I am in good company,” Tommy remarked.
The first boy had let go of Bruce, so Tommy said, “Come on Bruce, let's go.” Tommy turned to walk away. That's when the other boy landed the first punch to Bruce's stomach.
The fight was on. The boy that had been standing in front of Tommy grabbed him from behind, spun him around and got one good punch to Tommy's face. It took Tommy by surprise.
Tommy recovered quickly and got his licks in as well. He glanced over at Bruce and his friend seemed to be more than holding his own. Tommy was able to knock his attacker to the ground with a hard right cross. Tommy thought the fight was over. But as the kid got up, he pulled a five-inch blade from his back pocket.
Bruce saw the bully pull out the knife and yelled a warning.
“Look out Tommy!” he shouted.
This was turning dangerous. The boy lunged at Tommy.
Tommy was quicker and smarter. He side-stepped, grabbed the arm with the knife and pulled the boy in a circle and pulled the knife from the kid's hand. Now Tommy had the knife and the kid. In a flash he had the knife against his throat. The bully knew he was beat.
The other boy was still eying Bruce and again started to move towards him.
Tommy yelled.
“You're done. You make one more step towards Bruce and your friend here will get a very sore throat,” he said with a scowl to the other boy.
Bruce's attacker backed away. Tommy wiped some blood from his chin with his sleeve. They had gotten him pretty good.
“Come over here Bruce,” he said to his friend.
Bruce walked over to Tommy.
“Reach in his back pocket and get his wallet,” Tommy said.
The other boy spoke, “What you doin' man? You gonna rob us?”
“No moron, I'm not going to rob you,” Tommy laughed at the boy, still keeping the knife close to the boy's throat. “By the way, 'doin' is not a word. 'What you' sounds like it came out of the mouth of an idiot. Don't they teach proper English over at that high school?” he asked.
“Look at his ID Bruce. Who is this clown?” he asked.
Bruce opened the wallet and found the kids driver's license.
“Says John Roberts,” Bruce said. Then he read off the kids address.
Tommy looked at the other boy. “You, take a hike,” he commanded. “Mr. Roberts and I are going to have a little 'Come to Jesus' talk.”
The other boy turned and ran. He could not get out of the alley fast enough.
Tommy removed the knife from the boy's neck. In one swift motion he had the bully face first against the brick wall with his arm behind his back. It was extremely uncomfortable.
“Let me see if I can put this in a way that your limited intelligence can understand. I don't like it when I'm pissed off,” he growled. “And you have royally pissed me off. I'm so far past pissed off, if I turn around, I won't be able to see pissed off. I don't like it when someone picks on me or my friend here. I decided a long time ago that I was not going to put up with that kind of bull. That's why I was sent here. I beat the crap out of someone who pissed me off.” After each sentence, Tommy would pull the boy's arm upwards, causing a wave of pain to cascade through the bully.
“You'll get yours, smart ass.” the boy barked.
“No, I don’t think so. You see, my friend and I are real smart and you and your buddy are stupid, real dumb asses,” he laughed as he looked over at Bruce.
“Bruce, our new friend here just lost his driver's license. How unfortunate for him.” Bruce took the license and put it in his pocket. He knew what Tommy was thinking. He had seen the same episode of '77 Sunset Strip' that Tommy had seen.
“Now Mr. John Roberts, here is what we are going to do. You are now in charge of my friend's wellbeing. You will tell everyone at that high school over on Washington Street to leave Mr. Walker and me alone,” he paused. “Understand?”
“Why should I?” John barked again at Tommy.
“Because if I ever see any marks on him, and you better hope he never trips on the sidewalk and gets hurt, I will come for you. I am holding you personally responsible for his safety. If anything, ever happens to him, you're going to get the blame. I know who you are and where you live. You may be on the way to school or sleeping soundly in your bed. It might be the next day, a month or even a year later. I will find you and I will come for you. Maybe when you least expect it. Do you have any idea how much damage can be done with a baseball bat? Or maybe I will take my thick history book and shove it down your throat. When I do that, you will lose most of your teeth. Even as big as your mouth seems to be, the book will not fit your face. When I am done with you, your face will look like hamburger meat. It will not be pretty,” he turned the boy around and placed the knife back against his throat.
“Now do you understand?”
“Yeah, I got it,” the boy said softly. “Sorry.”
“I would also suggest that if you or any of your buddies see us walking down the street, that you move to the other side,” Tommy was on a roll. “I never want to see your ugly face again. It might piss me off and you do not want to piss me off again. I might have to go buy that baseball bat. I may do that anyway. I believe in being prepared. By the way, I do not believe in second chances. You only get one with me. You could have passed us by, but you chose not to do that,” Tommy paused. “That was your one and only chance, and you blew it.”
Tommy removed his hands and grabbed the boy by the seat of his pants. “Now, go crawl back into your hole.”
He gave the kid a shove towards the end of the alley.
“And do not cross our paths again,” he called out after the boy.
When the bully got about twenty feet away, Bruce yelled at him. “Hey. You forgot something.”
The boy stopped and turned around. Bruce flung the wallet to him. Like a stone skipping across a lake, it came to a stop about a foot from the young boy's feet. He picked it up and continued out of the alley.
Tommy was glad he had been reading Mr. Moorland's 'Rocky Steele' books. He smiled at his performance.
Tommy took the blade and inserted it into a crack in one of the bricks and twisted. It immediately broke in two. He tossed the bladeless knife into a dumpster.
Tommy looked over at his best friend. “You, OK?” he asked.
“Yeah, but it looks like you got the worst of it.”
“I'll be alright. I've had worse.” Tommy thought back to the day behind the bleachers. “But now I have a problem.”
Bruce looked at his friend.
“My dad said if I got into one fight, one call from Briarwood, he would throw my ass in a Military School, and I would never see Dawn again.”
“Well then,” Bruce replied. “We have to make sure that he doesn't find out.”
“I thought you said you weren’t athletic,” Tommy smiled. “You had that dude on the ropes.”
“What I said was, I didn't care much for organized group sports,” Bruce smiled. “But I did take two years of boxing.” Bruce winked at his friend.
Tommy laughed harder than he had in years.
The boys decided that perhaps they could sneak back into 'The Holly' by a rear entrance. Mr. Ingham had a workshop in the back where he did most of the repairs. If the outside door was unlocked, perhaps they could get in. Getting to their room would be another problem to solve.
As they walked slowly back to 'The Holly' Bruce spoke up.
“Tommy, I've never seen you rage like that. How much of all that stuff that you said back there do you believe in?”
Tommy laughed. “None of it Bruce. Sometimes in life you have to lower yourself to someone else's level. That's all they can understand. You can't talk to someone like him intelligently. You have to go down to his level of understanding. I just wanted to scare the guy into leaving us alone. Trust me, word will spread quickly that we're bad asses, and they better leave us alone. I am not a violent person, and I don't have much of a temper, but I can play the part if I have to,” he smiled. “But I also strongly believe that everyone has a god given right to defend themselves. I won't run away from it. I'll stand my ground. We were minding our own business. We could have passed each other in that alley, waved and said hello. They chose not to do that. Not us. Those two started it.”
“Yes, they did,” Bruce replied.
Tommy looked at his friend. “I can forgive the name calling and even the fighting. I chalk it up to them being uneducated morons. You can't fix stupid. But pulling a damn knife on someone crosses the line.”
“I agree,” Bruce said. “I have to admit that scared me a bit.”
“Bruce, there was no reason for him to do that. We didn't do anything to them. It was all about the color of your skin. What a stupid attitude. If I decide I don't like someone, it won't be because of the color of their skin. And I hate that word they called you. It will set me off faster than one of those Gemini rockets.”
As they approached the rear of 'The Holley' they knew that Mr. Ingham always took his dinner at this time. The workshop should be empty. They could go through the shop, out a side door into a hallway. If they made it to the stairs, they could walk up to seven, unseen. They did not know that since he had so many repairs to work on, Mr. Ingham had brought his dinner on this night. He was at his workbench, munching on a ham sandwich when the boys sneaked in.
Tommy looked at Bruce. “Oops,” was all he could say.
Fred looked at the two and knew immediately that there had been a fight.
“Boys, what in tarnation is going on? Are you OK?”
“Yes, sir,” Tommy sighed. “We're OK.”
Fred put down his sandwich and folded his hands across his chest. He stared at the two friends. “Start talking,” he commanded.
Tommy and Bruce told Mr. Ingham what had happened.
“And there was no way to just walk away from it?” he asked.
“No sir, we tried,” Bruce said. “They started with the name calling and when Tommy turned and tried to walk away, one of the boys went after him while the other started punching me.
Then, when the other guy realized Tommy was getting the best of him, he pulled out a blade.”
“Are you serious,” Fred exclaimed. “A blade?”
“Yeah, but the kid didn't know how to use it. I am faster and smarter,” Tommy smiled.
Mr. Ingham sighed. “You know boys, I am supposed to report this. Those boys need to be punished.”
“Please don't Mr. Ingham,” Bruce pleaded. “Tommy was sent here for fighting. He was trying to protect a crippled girl from an assault. His dad told him if he got into any trouble here, they would send him off to a Military school. Please!” he pleaded.
Fred looked at Tommy. “Is that true, son?” he asked.
Tommy nodded his head. “Yes sir,” he then proceeded to tell Mr. Ingham about the day in the hall at Storer Junior High. Fortunately for Fred, Tommy told the 'short version.'
When Tommy finished, Fred just shook his head. “OK boys. You two are the bravest kids I think I've ever met. I am amazed at how you boys have bonded. So yes, I will help you out. The first thing we need to do is get you both cleaned up. I have a first aid kit here.” He looked at Tommy's face closely. “I have a spare shirt that should fit you. We don't want anyone seeing that blood on your shirt. The cut on your lip is not too bad and it's on the inside. I don't think it will swell much,” he paused. “If it does, just tell everyone that you have a bad cold sore,” he smiled.
“I go on desk duty at nine. I'll check in a few minutes early and relieve Tim. When he mentions that you two birds haven't flown in yet, I will tell him I just saw you both up on seven,”
He smiled. “Too bad you both forgot to check in. Shame on you.”
Bruce looked at the young maintenance man. “Thank you, Mr. Ingham, thank you.” he said with a sigh of relief. He hated even the thought of his best friend being sent away.
“It's OK boys. Now we have to get you up to seven unseen.” He walked over to a storage bin and took out a rope about twenty feet long.
“Either of you ever a boy scout?” he asked as he held up the rope.
Both kids shook their heads in the negative.
“But I spent a lot of time at our lake cottage. Used ropes a lot with the boats,” Tommy spoke up.
“OK, you're hired,” Fred smiled. “You boys stay here until a little after nine. Tommy, do you think you can lasso the bottom of the fire escape and pull the stairs down, then climb up?” he asked.
Tommy nodded his head.
Mr. Ingham reached down to his key belt and removed a key. “The door to each floor opens from the inside but you need a key to open it from the outside.” He handed the key to Tommy.
“Sorry, but once you open that door to the seventh floor, you are on your own.” he said with a smile.
Fred then went over to a cabinet and got the first aid kit. He cleaned up Tommy's lip. Luckily the other boy did not hit Bruce in the face, but his ribs were sore. Mr. Ingham looked at and poked Bruce's ribs. None were broken but he would be sore for a few days.
It took three tries for Tommy to get the rope around the stairs. They quickly climbed up to the seventh floor. Tommy carefully opened the door just far enough to see the hallway. The coast was clear. They quietly and quickly made it to their room. Luck was finally on their side.
They had been in bed for about fifteen minutes. Neither could fall asleep. The room was completely dark. They could hear an occasional car horn off in the distance. Footsteps could be heard as other kids ran up and down the hallway. Tommy heard Bruce sigh.
“You, OK?” he asked.
“Yeah Tommy, I'm OK. I was just thinking of how close you came today with that blade. He could have cut you.”
“Naw, I'm way too ornery to get hurt,” Tommy laughed. “Mr. Ethridge told me there might be some people who would not like us being friends and rooming together. But I never expected that.”
“Tommy, I don't understand it,” Bruce said.
“Don't understand what?” Tommy asked.
“Why anyone would make a big deal out of you being my friend.”
“I don't know Bruce. What's it to them? I'm the one that has to put up with you,” Tommy laughed, then threw a pillow across the room at his best friend.
There was a silent pause.
“Tommy?” Bruce asked quietly.
“Yeah,” Tommy replied.
“Thanks for having my back.”
“That's what brothers are for Bruce.” Tommy replied quietly.
Sleep finally came.
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN – WILT AND JERRY
In gym class the following Monday, Mr. Johnson made an announcement.
“As you know boys, tonight the Los Angeles. Lakers and the Philadelphia 76ers are in town and playing over at the Civic Center.”
Everybody nodded their heads.
“The Civic Center has sent over some tickets for anyone who wants to go. I know it's spur of the moment, but I just found out this morning that tickets were available.”
David Elwood was the first to speak up. “I'd like to go Mr. Johnson,” he paused. “And you have to let T.C. go. Being from Indiana, he'll die if he doesn't get to go. Basketball is in his
veins.”
Everyone, including Tommy laughed.
“No problem, guys, I got enough tickets for everyone. The game starts at eight so we will meet at 'The Holley” at seven. I will get permission for you all to be out past normal curfew,” he
smiled.
That brought a round of applause from the group.
“Jerry West is off to his best start ever,” Tommy leaned over and whispered to David. “Even without Elgin Baylor these guys are good.” And the thought of seeing the seven foot one Wilt
Chamberlain excited the boy from Indiana.
The rest of the class was dominated by talk of the upcoming game. Philadelphia was in third place in their division, while the Lakers clung to a two-game lead in their division. But it was a young season and a lot of basketball remained to be played.
They all were ready when Mr. Johnson got to “The Holley' that evening. It was a bit chilly outside, but they didn't mind the cold walk to the Civic Center. They were excited about seeing a pro basketball game. It had been just eight days since the Rockets had had won the CFL championship and the city of Charleston had gone 'sports crazy.'
The crowd of 5600 seemed to route for both teams. Jerry West had been a star at WVU, while the 76er's Hal Greer had attended Marshall University, right down the road in Huntington. At half time the crowd cheered as Greer was given a plaque by the Kanawha County's Marshall Alumni Association for being the first player from West Virginia to score 10,000 points in the NBA. Not to be upstaged, the WVU county alumni presented West with the same plaque. West
got his 10,000th point shortly after Greer, so he would always be number two.
Jerry West was the game's leading scorer with 34 points, but it was Chamberlain and Greer who made the night special as the 76er's won 116 to 107. Chamberlain notched 29 points with Greer adding 24. It was a West Virginia night.
Rookie Billy Cunningham also had a special night for Philadelphia, scoring twenty-nine points. He had the prettiest one handed shot that Tommy had ever seen. Tommy could not wait to get into the gym and try this kind of shot. He also knew that the 76ers were returning to the civic center on February 14th. to take on the Detroit Pistons. He decided that he would be here for that game as well.
The boys had a ball. Some of them asked Tommy questions about offense and defense and Tommy was in heaven. He was finally able to talk about basketball and people listened.
On the way back to 'The Holley' all they could talk about was the game and the N.B.A.
“I read in the paper this morning that in his last game West had a real battle with Oscar Robertson of Cincinnati. I would love to see that tall dude play someday,” Ray Tallman exclaimed.
“Yeah, they still talk about Oscar Robertson in my hometown from when he was in high school. Robertson was great even then,” Tommy spoke up. “He went to Chrispus Attucks in Indianapolis and they played Muncie Central in the '55 semi state,” Tommy smiled. “Central was still hurting from a buzzer beater by Milan in the state Championship the year before and Robertson put on a show. Attucks won 71-70. But Central had this player, John Casterlow that gave Robertson a heck of a game that night. Attucks went on to win the state that year. They were the first all Negro school to win the state title and they won it again the following year.”
“So, if this Casterlow dude was so good, how come I never heard of him,” Jeffrey asked.
“He was murdered five years later on a Detroit Street. Got into a tussle with three street guys that were harassing his wife.”
Tommy laughed. “Yeah, you have to be to live in that town.”
They all laughed as they walked down Quarrier street to 'The Holley.'
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT – IT WON'T BE LONG NOW
Dec 1, 1965
My Dearest Tommy
It won't be long now. Soon you will be here with me and Bear. He misses you too.
Mom and dad told me last night that it was fine with them for me to spend as much time with you as I want.
They want to get to know you better during the holidays. I think mom also had a talk with your mom.
At first, they were not sure about us seeing a lot of each other. Then Gary said to them, “What parent would not want their straight 'A' daughter dating another straight 'A' student?”
Maybe you and Gary can bury the hatchet this Christmas. He’s been on your side through all of this, and I think he wants to be your friend.
In fact, he doesn't see any of his old friends anymore, not even your brother!
I cannot wait to have you here with me. I have soooo much to tell you about. I want to hear all about your school and all your new friends.
Love you bunches,
Dawn
Tommy immediately wrote back to her.
December 13, 1965
Darling Dawn,
I was hoping that your folks would come around, but I am surprised that Gary would be on 'my' side. He never gave me the time of day before.
Maybe you're right. Perhaps he isn't as bad as he was. Maybe we have BOTH have grown up some. It'll be hard based on our history, but I WILL TRY to give him the benefit of the doubt. For you!!
I cannot wait to see you!!! It has been sooooo long.
I don't understand people. Why some are so kind like you and your folks, while others are just mean and cruel.
Like Dave Torbin, my brother, and the two fools my roommate and I ran into last week.
We were out Christmas shopping and took a short cut down an alley near 'The Holley'. That was a mistake. Next thing I knew were confronted by two guys from Charleston High School.
I never imagined that Charleston High School guys would have it in for Briarwood. I have met a few Charleston High kids over the past few months. All of them have been nice. I guess it's kind of like Muncie Central and Muncie South. Both good and bad kids. I just haven't met any bad kids at Briarwood.
We tried to walk away, but they would not let us.
Anyway, I had to lower myself to their level and teach them a lesson. It is amazing how intelligence ALWAYS wins out over stupid.
I also go the gym every day. Ha ha!!
But don't worry. My roommate Bruce and I are FINE, and I don't think those guys will bother us again. I would have been fine just walking past them and saying hello, but they HAD to have a confrontation.
I will have to tell you the story of how we had to sneak back into the dorm, so no one would know what happened. I was worried that if Dad found out, he would put me in that Military school he picked out. He told me if I got into ANY trouble here, he would send me so far away,
I would never see you again. That's not going to happen.
Luckily, we have a man here who is great!! Mr. Ingham is head of the maintenance department. He helped us out and made sure no one knew about the incident. I will tell you all about it when I get home.
Just proves that NO PLACE is perfect. But Charleston does come close. As much as I miss you, And I DO!!!!! I have grown to love this school, my teachers, all my new friends and this lovely city.
My new friends keep me from being too lonely, but I miss you terribly.
When I get home, I am not letting you out of my sight. I have so much to tell you!!! And I cannot wait to hear about your life.
Got to run now, headed over to the gym for a workout and want to get this in the mail.
I miss you!!!!!!!!!!!
Guess what????? I just happened to look at the date. December 13. Do you know what that means? It was exactly two years ago today that I saw you for the first time. It was two years ago today that I fell madly in love with you. I will never forget seeing you standing in the living room. You tilted your head and bit down on your lower lip. I was totally hooked.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!!
All my love,
Tommy
Tommy looked down at the letter. He realized that he did not say anything to Dawn about Bruce being colored, nor what the fight was about. He did not want anyone in Muncie to know about Bruce. Not because of Bruce, but because of his own family. He was afraid that if his father found out, he might pull him out of Briarwood and make him come home. He would not take that chance. Even though he missed Dawn, he loved it at Briarwood. As he looked at the letter, he realized that Charleston was now his home. These kids and his teachers were his new family. He was finally happy. He smiled as he sealed the letter and went downstairs to put it in the mail.
The gym awaited him.
Tommy could not wait for Christmas break. He wanted to go home and see Dawn. It had been so long since he had seen her.
He still had not bought any gifts for Dawn so one Saturday afternoon he walked down to Diamonds Department store to see what he could find. After an hour of looking around, he was frustrated. He had no idea what to get a thirteen-year-old girl. All he had so far was the latest Four Seasons album. He thought Dawn would love 'All New Recorded Live-On Stage with the Four Seasons.'
He would be disappointed years later to learn that it was actually recorded in a studio with the 'live audience' added afterward.
Armed with his one gift, he meandered into the girl's department. He was looking at a blouse when he heard a familiar voice behind him.
“I don't think that will fit you Tommy,” a voice said softly.
Tommy turned around and saw the wife of one of his favorite teachers. He laughed.
“Hi Mrs. Kremer. I was looking for something for Dawn,” he smiled. “But I am not having much luck.”
“Well, I can tell you one thing son,” Mrs. Kremer said as she looked at the garment he was holding. “She won't like that one.” She shook her head in a negative manner.
Tommy frowned. “I just don't know what to get her,” he said dejectedly. “She means so much to me. I haven't seen her in over six months. I want this gift to be perfect.” He sighed.
Mrs. Kremer could tell that he was frustrated and in need a woman's guiding hand.
“Tommy, I have all afternoon free,” she smiled. “If you like, I will be happy to help you pick some things out.”
Tommy immediately smiled. “Really? That would be great Mrs. Kremer.”
They walked around the store for over an hour. Mrs. Kremer asked a lot of questions about Dawn. She wanted to know all about this girl that Tommy loved so much. She finally stopped in the isle and looked at Tommy. A smile came to her lips.
“I've got it!” she said. “Follow me.”
Soon they were back in the girl's department, and Mrs. Kremer picked out a lovely light blue mohair sweater.
“Tommy this is what all the classy girls are wearing these days.”
Tommy loved it. It would look gorgeous on Dawn, and it was her favorite color.
“But we need something to go along with it,” Mrs. Kremer smiled. “Does Dawn have a charm bracelet?” she asked.
Tommy's eyes lit up. “No, she doesn't, and I think she said once that she wanted one.”
“Well, based on her interests you told me about, I bet we can find some interesting charms to put on it,” Mrs. Kremer took Tommy by the hand and led him over to the jewelry department.
By the time they were done, Tommy had a lovely charm bracelet for Dawn. He also chose some nice charms to go with the bracelet. One was in the outline of West Virginia. Since Dawn also took ballet lessons, he got her a Ballerina charm.
Dawn was also in the band, so he bought a small flute charm. But his favorite was one with two hands holding each other. It signified his love for her.
“I think we did OK, Tommy,” Mrs. Kremer said as they exited the store.
“Yes, thanks to you. I appreciate what you did for me,” Tommy said with a smile.
“It was my pleasure, Tommy. Any time you need help shopping, you just let me know,” she smiled. “It's a girl thing. We all love to shop. Dawn will understand.”
“Thank you again Mrs. Kremer. This is a big load off my mind. I have been stressed out about what to get her,” he paused. “You saved my life.”
Mrs. Kremer laughed. “Tommy, I am sure Dawn would love whatever you get for her.
Remember, it's the thought that counts.”
They said their goodbyes, and Tommy walked back to 'The Holly' with his gifts. This was going to be the best Christmas ever.
Tommy sat on the bus looking out of the window. Winter had come with a vengeance, as it was cold and snowy. He heard that a warm front was coming, but it hadn't arrived yet.
Because of all the bad weather the bus was two and a half hours behind schedule.
Tommy watched as the snow blew across the highway and the driver concentrated on keeping the bus under control. It had been a long day. They were due in Muncie at six, and it was already past eight.
He could not wait to get home and see Dawn. He had two weeks off from school and was planning on spending as much time as he could with Dawn.
Soon he recognized the area outside of Richmond. He knew he was getting closer to home.
He just hoped that his mother was waiting for him at the bus terminal. He tried to read his history book that he brought along but found it hard to see the words in the dimmed lighting.
He was too excited about seeing Dawn again.
Finally, they pulled into the downtown Muncie bus terminal. He could see his mother's red Chevrolet in the parking lot. Tommy grabbed his duffel bag and was the first one off the bus.
Dawn saw him first.
“Tommy!” she yelled as she ran to him.
“Dawn!” was all he could say as they hugged. He leaned down and kissed her. It was then that he saw his mother.
“Tommy, welcome home.” Tears were rolling down her cheeks.
Tommy hugged his mother. “I am so glad you brought Dawn,” he said to her.
“Mildred said she was just being impossible at home and was busting a gut to be here.” she said with a smile.
Dawn was still hanging onto Tommy. “Yes, and I am not letting go of him until he has to go back,” she laughed.
“I am counting on that.” Tommy smiled as he looked at Dawn.
The town had not changed much. Tommy was not paying much attention to his surroundings.
He and Dawn sat in the back seat holding hands and talking the whole way home. Tommy never took his eyes off Dawn.
Margaret just smiled. She was happy to have Tommy home, even for a short time.
As they pulled into the Andrews' driveway, Margaret looked into the rear-view mirror so she could see her son.
“Tommy,” she said. “Walk Dawn home and say your good night. It's late, you can see her in the morning.”
Tommy was going to protest but was just too tired. He could not wait to get under the covers.
“OK mom, I'll say a quick hello to the Thurston's, then I'll come home,” he replied. “I am dog tired. It was a long rough ride, and I was up early this morning."
Margaret turned around to face the back seat. “Fifteen minutes, son. No more. I'll warm up some dinner for you, and have your father bring in your bag. Your room is already for you,” she said as she smiled at the two youngsters.
Tommy walked Dawn home holding her hand all the way. They walked slowly. Although it was cold, they did not mind. He said a quick hello to her parents. Mrs. Thurston told Tommy how proud they were of his grades and how well he was doing. Gary was not around. He gave Dawn a good night kiss and a long hug.
“I am so glad to be home with you,” he said. “I missed you so much.”
Now Dawn was crying. “Me too,” was all she could say.
After Tommy left, Dawn ran to her room. She wanted to watch Tommy as he made his way up the street to his house.
Tears of joy flowed down her cheeks as she watched him.
When Tommy got to his driveway and made his way to the house, he disappeared from her view. Dawn stood by her window for another five minutes. A smile came to her face. He was finally home. She had waited for months for this day to arrive, and it was finally here. This was going to be the best Christmas of her life.
Tommy found that his mother had indeed fixed him some left over beef stew.
His father and brother were in the kitchen.
“Hello, son” John said. “Nice to see you.”
“You too, sir” was all Tommy could say.
“Your hair is too damn long,” John said to his son.
“Funny thing is,” Tommy replied, “The school doesn't seem to mind. I learned that on my first day.” he smiled.
“So, I let it grow.” Tommy said, looking right at his father.
“When the time comes, Mother Miller will cut it.”
John would never know that Tommy could not wait to get his hair cut. It got in the way when he was working out. He left it long to make a statement to his father. He would never admit to his dad that he liked it shorter.
John let the comment slide, he never asked how school was going or commented on Tommy's good grades. He didn't even ask who 'Mother Miller' was. It was all small talk.
George never said a word to his younger brother.
Tommy was hungry. All he had eaten today was a burger at a fast food stop in Columbus. He had been too excited to eat breakfast.
He half listened to his parents and brother talk. He answered a few questions his mother had, then excused himself and went to his room. He was happy to see that his dad had brought in his duffel bag and placed it on the bed. He placed it by his desk and was in the bed in a flash. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
Tommy was now used to getting up long before six am, so bright and early his eyes popped open. It was still dark outside.
As Tommy cleared the sleep out of his eyes, he looked out of the window. It had warmed up overnight and the light snow was gone.
He walked down the hallway to the bathroom. The house was too quiet. By this time at school there were twenty or thirty kids up and vying for shower space. He was used to all the noise.
He went back to his room and turned the radio on. He searched for the new Muncie station that went on the air shortly before he left for school. Then he remembered that because of FCC restrictions, WERK 990 was only allowed to be on the air during the daylight hours.
He found the other Muncie station. Geared to an older audience, at least WLBC 1340 had local news, sports and the weather. He tuned the volume to a low level so he would not bother anyone. He listened as Jerry Needler gave the latest news. He remembered all the time he and Howard hung out at the radio station. He thought maybe he would call Howard while he was home and say hello. As he listened to the news, he recalled what a nice man Mr. Needler was.
Jerry always took some time with Tommy and explained how everything worked. He even let Tommy record a newscast in the Production Room. It never aired but was a lot of fun for the young boy. 'Someday,' Tommy thought, 'Maybe I will get a job there and work with him.'
Maybe someday he could read the news on the radio. What a thrill that would be, and it would be because of Jerry's friendship and guidance. He passed more of the time by leafing through one of Mr. Moorland's Ham Radio magazines.
Soon he heard his mother in the kitchen, and he could smell the coffee. He threw on a pair of jeans, grabbed his tennis shoes, and meandered down the hall.
“Good morning, Tommy. Would you like some breakfast?” she asked.
“Not right now mother, I think I want to go for my run first,” he said to her.
"You run?” she asked.
“Have been for months mom, it's really fun. I don't get a chance to run in the mornings. I usually run after school in the gym. On weekends I go down to the Kanawha River and run along the bank. Sometimes I go all the way to the Capitol building. So, this will be different.” Tommy smiled as he put on his tennis shoes.
“Well, you be careful out there, the street may be slippery,” she said to Tommy with a huge smile.
The neighborhood looked the same. The warm front arrived overnight, and the temperature was now in the low forties. The snow had melted. After running for a few minutes, Tommy was warmed up.
He ran up Lancaster Drive to Purdue Avenue. When he got past the Halteman Village Baptist Church,
he turned onto West Sheffield Drive. That took him around the development back to Lancaster drive.
He made the one mile loop several times then he walked the last quarter of a mile home.
After his shower, he returned to the kitchen.
Margaret was sitting at the table reading the paper as she sipped her morning coffee.
“You want some breakfast now?” she asked as she handed him the front-page section of the Muncie Star.
“Please, I am starved,” he replied.
“Don't they feed you at that school?” she asked.
“Yes, mom, they feed us just fine. Can I have some cereal?”
“No, I am making you pancakes. You look like you lost some weight. I will have to fatten you up while you are home.” His mother said with a smile.
“No, mom. I have not lost any weight. I am fine. Just been working out some.” he replied.
Tommy went over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup.
“Young man,” his mother questioned. “How long have you been drinking coffee?”
Tommy laughed. “Since I went away to school. We study long hours at school, mom. Everyone drinks coffee.”
Tommy ate his breakfast and engaged in more small talk with his mother. He told her all about his school and the city of Charleston. John was up and almost ready for work. He said a hasty good morning as he walked through the kitchen. He grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out the door.
As he picked up the Muncie Star, Tommy sarcastically thought how nice it was to be home.
Tommy read that astronauts Frank Borman and Jim Lovell were getting ready to wrap up their Gemini VII mission after traveling over five million miles in space. He had been trying to follow the flight on TV.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE – I'M SO SORRY
Mildred had told Tommy the night before that he could come down to see Dawn at nine in the morning.
At 8:59 he was ringing the doorbell. This went on for his entire time at home. Tommy would run every morning then be at Dawn's by nine. He would be with Dawn until nine or ten that evening. Some days they would spend time at Tommy's house. They sat on the couch holding hands, talking, and watching TV. They talked on and on, as they had six months to catch up on.
Tommy also spent a lot of time with Dawns mother. Mildred was sizing up the young man.
On the first day as they were sitting on the sofa Gary came into the TV room. Tommy was in the middle with Dawn on one side and Bear on the other. As if on que, Dawn got up, and looked over at Tommy.
“I'll be right back,” she said as she left the room.
Tommy looked at her with questions in his mind, then he looked at Gary.
Gary knew Tommy was too smart not to see through his plan. “I asked Dawn to give us a few minutes alone.” Gary said. “I wanted to apologize to you.” Gary looked at Tommy.
“Apologize to me? For what?” Tommy asked looking up at him.
“I did not treat you right when you first moved here, and I am sorry about that.” He looked down at the floor.
“I have been trying for months to figure out how to tell you how sorry I am. It was all my fault. I was hanging around with the wrong crowd. It was never your fault. It was all mine. From day one, I never gave you a chance. I even refused to let you ride to school with me and dad.”
Gary looked down at the floor.
“It got totally out of hand. I tried to make amends, but it just didn't seem to work with you.”
“Gary, it's OK. We don't have to be friends.” Tommy looked at Dawn's brother.
“I know that Tommy, but I want to be,” he continued. “I finally figured out that Dave Torbin was a bad, bad dude. What can I say about your brother?”
“Please, don't say anything about my so-called brother.” Tommy thought for a second. “But why now? We have nothing in common,” Tommy said flatly.
Gary smiled and sat down next to Tommy.
“Nothing in common?” he laughed. “I think you are totally wrong.” He looked out to the empty hall. “That little girl out there is the love of both our lives. It's a connection that we cannot ignore, nor change.” he paused.
Tommy thought for a second. He understood.
“Gary, is that why you kept coming to my rescue? First behind the bleachers, then trying to convince your folks that I was an OK guy?” Tommy asked.
“Yeah, Dawn was on me to be on your side. But your brother was bad mouthing you at every opportunity. After that incident under the bleachers, I started to look at who I was and who I was hanging around with.”
Gary paused for a second.
“And I did not like what I saw. In fact, I never talked to Torbin after they jumped you like that. I realized that what they did was wrong, almost criminal. You could have been seriously hurt. I'm sorry I didn't stop it sooner. I should have stuck up for you. Even after you got expelled, I hid under a rock. I should have said something.”
Tommy smiled. “It was no big deal, I survived just fine.”
“Yes, it was a big deal, you didn't do anything at that school but protect yourself. It took me forever to see that. I was ashamed that I was a part of that. But I didn't know how to make it right.” Gary continued. “Then you were sent away, Dawn was a mess, and my parents didn't know what to think, and I couldn't tell them. The rumors of why you hit that teacher flew around Storer faster than those stupid gyro planes that are made up on Highway Three.”
“They went from you were on drugs, you broke up with Dawn, had a big fight with your folks, all kinds of things were said. Some of the things I heard, I won't even repeat. It was a madhouse the last week of school. Then the new school year started. I moved on to Central and Dawn was stuck at Storer. She's having a rough year.”
“I am sorry that I caused that for her.” Tommy said.
“She never complains. I'm sure it will get better next year when she goes to Central.” Gary said. “But Tommy, what was it all about? What happened that last day at Storer?”
“Gary,” Tommy replied. “I can't tell you. All I can say is that most of the stories you heard are probably not true or are exaggerations.”
Gary looked at Tommy. “You can't tell me, or won't tell me?”
“Gary, I hit a teacher, and am paying the price. That part is true. I can tell you that there is more than that to the story, and maybe someday you will hear it. There must have been a dozen kids in the hall that day and every one of them knew what the hell happened. But not a damn one of them came forward. Maybe someday you'll hear the true story, but you won't hear it from me.” Tommy said. “I can't tell anyone around here. But I can tell you,” Tommy paused. “It was the best thing I ever did. It turned out just fine. Given the choice, I would do it again.” Tommy said with a grin. “In a second.”
“OK Tommy, I get it. Something did happen in the hall that day. You are protecting someone.” he sighed. “I'll respect that.”
“And” Tommy looked at Gary. “Had you continued hanging out with Torbin, you would have ended up in a lot more trouble than I did.”
Gary's eyes opened wide. “You didn't know?” he said. “In October he robbed Concannon's Bakery downtown. They sent him and the kid he was with to reform school.”
Tommy did not stop laughing for ten minutes.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO – TIME TO PAY THE PIPER
As usual Tommy was up early. He had finished his run and his shower and was at the kitchen table reading the paper and eating cereal, when John came in to get his morning coffee. He was ready for work.
“Hey dad,” Tommy said as he put down the morning edition of the Star. “Could I have a little spending money for the week?” he asked. “I wanna take Dawn to the movies.”
John looked scornfully at his son. “Why in the hell would I give you money to spend on that girl?”
Tommy did not want to have a scene, but he had no choice. He swallowed hard and looked up at his father.
“Well since you asked, because you owe it to me.” he said with a smile. Before John could react, Tommy continued. “When you sent me away to school you said I would get fifty bucks for each 'A' and thirty-five for each 'B' that I earned,” he stared at his father.
“By my calculations sir, you owe me five hundred and fifty bucks,” he smiled again. “For summer school and the first nine weeks, sir.” Tommy took a sip of his coffee.
“I never said anything such thing,” John barked.
Margaret had gotten up from her chair and was headed towards the sink with her plate.
“Yes, you did John,” she said without turning around. “The night we told him he was going away. You will honor that agreement.”
John knew not to argue with his wife. He also remembered exactly what he had said that night. But he never anticipated Tommy would get straight A's. He thought his son would fail and end up in a Military School. He reluctantly reached into his wallet.
“Damn it. Here's forty bucks.” He threw the two twenties on the table. “That will have to hold you until I can get to the bank, Mr. Money Bags.” he said sternly.
Tommy smiled. “That's OK Dad, this will do just fine. Just put the rest into my Briarwood account please,” he paused. “Like you said you would.” He smiled again, this time a bit sarcastically. John would never know that Margaret had been sending her son money every week, along with copies of the Muncie Star. She had also paid for his subscription to the Charleston Gazette.
It was the first time in his life Tommy stood up to his father. It would not be the last.
John said nothing as he grabbed his coffee and stormed out of the house.
“Thanks mom, for sticking up for me.”
“Son, a deal is a deal. He made it, he has to honor it. I'll make sure that he does,” she smiled at her boy. She was so glad he was home even for a couple of weeks. 'If John wasn't going to congratulate him on his good grades, then he could damn well pay for them,' she thought.
“You know he loves you Tommy,” Margaret said. “He just doesn't know how to express it.”
Tommy looked at his mother. “Yeah mom, sure he does. That man has all the charm of a rattlesnake that just got stepped on.”
“Tommy don't say that. He's your father,” she scolded.
“Mom, I don't know what I ever did to him but no, he doesn't love me. Never did, never will,” he said softly. “I am kinda used to it by now. I've had a lot of long talks with our school counselor. She made me realize that it isn't my fault. No matter how hard I try, I cannot make someone love me. It's up to them.”
Margaret started to cry.
Tommy did not mean to make her cry; he was just being honest with her. Perhaps for the first time in his life.
“Mom, it's OK. One thing I have learned in the last six months is I cannot change people. I can only change myself,” he smiled, “And I have done that.”
“Yes, you have son, and I am so proud of you,” Margaret exclaimed as she stroked his blonde hair.
“Thanks mom, and please don't take this the wrong way,” he stopped. Tommy wasn't sure if he should go on.
“Yes Tommy, it's all right,” his mother replied.
“I realized a few weeks ago that I am better off in Charleston. I miss you and Dawn terribly, but to be painfully honest,” he paused again. “It's nice to be home and all, but I love Charleston, my school, my new friends and all my teachers.” Tommy looked down at the table. “But I don't miss that man, or George, or this town. Not one damn bit.”
Margaret reached across and took Tommy's hand in hers. “I know sweetheart, I know.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE – A HEART TO HEART
An hour later, Tommy was ringing the Thurston doorbell. Mildred answered. She had on her apron and was holding a dish towel.
“Come on in Tommy, I was just finishing the dishes,” she said with that broad smile that Tommy loved to see. “You can keep me company.”
“Dawn is not here, but she'll be back in about an hour. It will give us a chance to chat and get to know each other a little better.”
“That would be nice Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy was still a bit uneasy with this family, after all that had happened since he had moved to town. “Or if you like, I can come back later.”
“Nonsense son, come on in,” she said guiding the young man into the kitchen. “I promise you, I won't bite,” she said with a chuckle.
Tommy sat down at the table, and she sat down across from him.
“Tommy, let's be serious for a moment, OK?”
All of a sudden Tommy was nervous.
“As you probably know, Dawn's father and I were not happy when we found out that Dawn was writing to you at school,” she said.
Tommy just shook his head.
“We didn't know you that well, and you have to agree the stories we were hearing about you were not that good.”
“Yes ma'am, I understand,” the boy replied.
“But Gary and Dawn talked us into giving you a chance, and I want you to know, I am glad they did,” she smiled broadly.
“Thank you, Mrs. Thurston, I do appreciate that.”
“Tommy, Dawn is a special young lady and I never want to see her hurt, in any way,” she smiled.
“Yes, ma'am me too. I know we are young and apart most of the time, but she is the most important thing in my life, and she always will be.” Tommy smiled just thinking about her.
“That's nice son,” Mildred smiled. “I also want you to know that I visited Storer and talked to Dr. Howard, and some of your former teachers.”
'Geez', Tommy thought. 'She is going to tell me to leave.'
“I was not being nosy, Tommy. But before I allowed Dawn to spend a lot of time with you, I needed more information. Information about you and what happened over at that school. Your mother was also kind enough to share a wonderful note she received from Mrs. Reitz,” she paused. “But your mother did not know much about what happened at Storer.”
“Honestly ma'am, my mother has no idea what went on there. She and my dad never asked me.” Tommy said looking down at the table. “And I was afraid they wouldn't believe me, so I never told them.”
Mildred picked up on how uneasy he was. She thought he was about to come out of his skin.
Mildred laughed.
“Easy son, don't worry, it's OK.” she said.
“They don't like me much over there,” Tommy sighed.
“Yes, I got that opinion too. What did you do to Dr. Howard ? He acts like you smashed up some of his precious model airplanes,” she laughed again.
Tommy finally smiled. “No ma'am, he just blamed me for everything. He hates me.”
“But some of your teachers told me some interesting things,” she said as she raised one eyebrow.
“Ask me anything about that school you want. Except about that last day,” he said quietly. He thought back to his conversation a few days earlier with Gary. “I can't talk about that.”
“OK, Tommy,” Mildred paused. “Some of your teachers think you were being bullied, and just had to fight back?” she looked at Tommy as if that was a question.
“Yes ma'am, I was. Please don't tell anyone,” He almost begged. “I don't even think Dawn knows the whole story, just a part of it. I don't want her to know everything. It's too
embarrassing.” He could not tell her that her son was a part of the problem.
“Tommy, she would understand but I promise this conversation will never be repeated. Not to Dawn, not to Gary, and not to Walter. More importantly, not to your parents. This is between you and me. Period,” she said softly. Then she smiled and winked at the boy.
“Mrs. Matias said you were smart,” she continued. “She said you were well read and should have been making straight A's. Based on your performance in Charleston, she was right.”
“I liked her,” Tommy smiled. “She was nice to me.”
“I ran into her downtown last week. I told her how well you were doing. She was pleased to hear it,” Mildred said.
Tommy smiled. Of all the teachers at Storer, she had been his favorite.
“She also told me that she thought there was something wrong at home?” Again, a statement in the form of a question. “And it was not the first time I've heard that,” she thought back to what her son had told her. “Is there?” she looked into his eyes.
Tommy looked down at the table and started talking. He talked for almost forty-five minutes.
He knew that he owed it to this woman to tell her everything. Well almost everything.
He told Dawn's mother about growing up in Pennsylvania and how much he missed it. He talked at length about his father and brother and how he was treated on a regular basis. He left nothing out about his family life. When he talked about his time at Storer he didn't mention Gary or the bullies by name.
He also left out the story about Denise.
When he was done, Mildred had a tear in her eye. She knew there was more to the story, but what she heard so far was dynamite. Gary was right.
“Ma'am I want you to know the most important part of my tale, and the happiest,” Tommy smiled.
“I know Dawn and I are young, but I love her with everything that is in me. I will never hurt her. Never, never, never,” he repeated. “I think about her a lot, and when I do, I get goosebumps, and this funny feeling in my stomach.” he smiled.
Mildred got up and went over and sat down next to Tommy. She was so glad that Gary and Dawn talked them into giving this boy a chance. She leaned over and hugged her daughter's boyfriend. In her mind, he was now one of the family. She knew she could not replace the love he wasn't getting up the street.
But she damn well was going to try. Period.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR – TWO ON TWO, THE HARD WAY
Soon Christmas was upon them, and Tommy had a wonderful time. He liked the new typewriter that his parents bought him. Dawn gave Tommy subscriptions to his two favorite ham radio magazines. She even went to the trouble of calling the school and was given some advice from Mr. Moorland on what she should buy for Tommy. He was kind enough to mail Dawn the subscription forms. Dawn loved her charm bracelet, sweater, and the Four Seasons album that Tommy gave her. He was glad that Mrs. Kremer took the time to help him shop.
It was hard trying to split his limited time with both families. Tommy was getting to know the Thurston's much better. He and Gary were spending more time together and also getting to know each other.
Even in the cold, Tommy would run every morning before breakfast. Some days Gary would join him. It was during his run that he saw the neighbor down the street with the huge ham antenna. Tommy stopped to say hello and the man recognized him.
“I remember you, young man. You came down a couple of years ago, and I showed you my ham radio setup.”
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied as they shook hands.
“T.C. Andrews WA8MMT,” he smiled.
“Well congratulations WA8MMT, I'm Dave Taylor W9QLK,” he paused. “How did you get a WA8 call sign?” he asked.
Tommy smiled. “I go to school in West Virginia. Since I only come home on holidays, my permanent residence is in W-8 land.” Tommy all of a sudden realized that he liked the way that sounded.
“Wow,” Dave said. “That call is not a Novice call. Did you go straight to the General Class license?”
“Yes sir, I did. I took an independent study this past summer at my new school. Now I'm studying for my Advanced,” Tommy said proudly.
“Well, congratulations son, well done,” his new friend said. “You must have found a real good Elmer.” Elmer was a term used to describe someone that helps another person obtain his license. Usually, it was an older ham operator that had been around the hobby for many years.
“Yeah, I did,” Tommy replied with a smile. “One of my teachers helped me. It was part of my Independent Study. I got an 'A'.”
Dave was on his way to work but asked Tommy to come on down Saturday morning at eight, and he would take him to the monthly Ham Radio club breakfast meeting downtown as his guest.
Tommy said he would look forward to it.
He told Dawn that he would see her at noon on Saturday.
As promised, Dave took him to the meeting and introduced him to everyone. Everyone was older than Tommy but treated him like he was one of the group. He even met a man that worked at Westinghouse and knew John. Harvey McMath, W9IEP.
Harvey was a tall lanky man that definitely made his living with his hands. He made a special point to talk to Tommy.
Gary and Tommy started spending some of the warmer afternoons playing one on one, at the new community basketball court across the street. One afternoon, George and one of his high school friends showed up at the court and challenged Gary and Tommy to a game of two on two.
“But I get to guard the dork,” George said staring at his younger brother. “I'm gonna stuff that ball right down your ugly throat,” he said to Tommy. George did not realize that his brother had grown several inches and was now an inch taller than him. Because he never had meaningful conversations with his younger brother, George did not know that Tommy had been playing basketball almost every day since he arrived at school. Basketball and running was Tommy's escape when he needed to get away from studying for a moment. Tommy spent a lot of time at the school gym, playing ball and running laps. He was in much better physical shape than when he left, some six months ago. The baby fat was long gone. Gary played on the Junior Varsity 'Bearkitten' team at Muncie Central and would be on the Varsity next year.
George and his friend Ted did not have the speed, the height, or the talent of the two younger boys. It quickly turned into a basketball clinic. The older boys soon learned that they were completely out matched.
Gary and Tommy played well together. They each seemed to anticipate the others moves. It was no contest.
Gary had all the inside moves, and Tommy could shoot the lights out from outside. No matter what George did, Tommy always got the best of him.
It did not take long for George to get frustrated. He tried to take his frustration out on Tommy. George did not like losing, and he was a poor loser. It was the first time he ever lost to Tommy.
Tommy was driving to the basket on a fast break with George in hot pursuit. George knew he was beaten as Tommy had a full step on him. All he could do was push Tommy just as he started to jump for a lay-up. It was a hard push and was totally out of line.
Tommy came down out of bounds in the grassy area, and landed hard on his left foot. He felt a sharp pain in his ankle as he fell to the ground.
The game was over.
Gary went over and helped Tommy get up.
“That was totally uncalled for,” Gary yelled at George. “You have got to be the poorest sport I have ever seen,” he continued. “I think both you and your friend need to take a hike.”
“Whatever, Gary,” George replied as he turned away. “Come on Ted, let's leave the dorks alone.”
Gary looked at Tommy. “You, OK?” he asked.
“Yeah, just a sprain.” Tommy then smiled broadly. “I'll be OK. I made the basket too,” he said with a chuckle.
“Damn, that was fun! We kicked their butts,” Gary said.
Both boys laughed.
“Where did you learn to play like that?” Gary asked his friend.
“At school. Some of us go to the gym almost every day to get a few minutes away from the books,” Tommy smiled. “Some of the upperclassmen are good and taught me some moves. On Saturdays they have a lot of intramural ball. I do that and I run every day. I thought about trying out for the basketball team, but I have way too much on my plate right now.”
“You know, if you come back next year, you could make the team.” Gary said. “You and I could be starting back court for the Bearcats.”
“Gary, that's a pipe dream, I am not near good enough for that team.” Tommy said.
“Wrong again, my friend, wrong again,” Gary laughed.
With Gary's help, Tommy limped across the street to the Thurston's. Mildred iced down his ankle and insisted he sit on the couch with his foot up in the air.
Dawn was upset. “You brother is such a jerk,” she exclaimed.
“Yes dear, I know,” was Tommy's only reply.
Tommy left his brother alone the rest of his time at home. He spent most of his time with Dawn and Gary.
But soon it was time to go back to school.
CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE – WELCOME 1966
It was a cold winter in Charleston. Tommy continued to study hard. He was enjoying his freshman year. As hard as his classes were, he was still knocking down straight A's. With the money his mother made his father send, his bank account was growing.
He would treat himself and Bruce to a once-a-month meal at the Quarrier Diner, next door to 'The Holley'.
Tommy and Bruce continued bonding. Almost inseparable, the two were never more than a few feet apart. Bruce continued Tommy's jazz education while he learned about 50's rock and roll.
Tommy would spend an occasional weekend in Morgantown with Bruce's family. They too, were growing closer and closer. Tommy spent hours with Mary Ann talking about books. He and David would go on and on about politics. They agreed most of the time. They would watch in agony the news reports from Vietnam. They talked for hours about Dr. King and what he wanted to accomplish. Tommy and Susan spent a lot of time playing board games, with Susan usually winning.
And he was always at the gym. Working out and playing basketball. Occasionally, some of the guys from Charleston Catholic would stop by for a pickup game. It was fun playing against different players. They all got to know each other, and another bond was formed.
Tommy's mother continued to provide news from home. Each week brought a long letter and copies of the Muncie Star. Tommy didn't care about his brothers' activities, but Margaret went on and on about George.
One cold evening as Tommy returned from the library, he checked the mailbox for news from home. His mother still sent him copies of the Muncie Star or the Evening Press. As he opened his package the first thing he noticed was a copy of the Muncie Evening Press with the headline,
Scanning the article, Tommy learned that Billy Joe Ray, one of the starters on the '63 State Championship team had died while serving in the U.S. Army in Bolivia. Not a casualty of war, Billy Ray would die of complications of dental surgery at a U.S. Army hospital in La Paz. All because of an equipment malfunction.
Tommy thought back to those days shortly after moving to Muncie. What if the scandal had not happened? Perhaps the 'Cats would have won the state again in '64. Perhaps Billy Ray would have been given that college scholarship he wanted. He would not have gone into the Army and would not have been in Bolivia in that dentist's chair. Tommy vowed that he would never allow a dentist to give him gas during a procedure.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX – NCAA HISTORY - MARCH 19, 1966
Tommy left the library early and walked back to 'The Holley.' As he walked past the common room, he noticed that some of the guys were watching a ball game on TV. Then he remembered that the NCAA College Championship game was that evening. Kentucky was playing some small school from Texas that no one had ever heard of. 'It's going to be a blood bath' he thought to himself as he entered the room. Then a memory came to him. A memory of a small school that had no chance against a bigger school. But as fate would have it, that little school did the improbable. They took down Goliath on a last second shot. Muncie Central never got over it.
He wondered if history could repeat itself. Could lightning strike twice?
Tommy knew little about college basketball. He had followed the scores, but his life centered around Charleston and the school he loved. He knew Kentucky was a national powerhouse, that played in the Southeastern Conference. But as much as he loved basketball there was just not enough time for him to follow it as closely as he would have liked. He figured these guys from West Texas must be good, as they were rated number three in the nation. They had beaten number four Kansas 81- to 80 in the semifinals. But it took two overtimes to do it, and Kansas star Jo Jo White stepping out of bounds as he was shooting what Kansas thought was the game winner.
As Tommy looked at the screen, he realized that he had missed the entire first half. He also realized the number one team in the country was behind at half time. Texas Western was leading Adolph Rupp and his Kentucky Wildcats by a score of 34-31.
Tommy greeted David, Ray and a few of their friends from the sixth floor and sat down to watch the second half.
“Tommy,” Ray said pointing at the television. “You're not gonna believe this game. These dudes from Texas are good. They have a good chance of winning this game.”
Tommy knew that Ray was a hardnosed Kentucky fan. He would never admit that his team could lose unless he really thought it was possible.
Bruce even stopped by and watched some of the game.
Bruce was the one who pointed out that all the players for Texas Western were Negroes.
The boys sat and watched the second half. They all routed for the underdog. Except for Ray. “No offense, Bruce, but my parents both went to Kentucky. We all bleed Blue.” he laughed.
“It's OK, Ray. We are all products on how we were raised,” Bruce said with a chuckle. “I won't hold it against you.”
Tommy was amazed at how well the 'Miners' played. They were totally in sync with each other. They defended Pat Riley and Louie Dampier, Kentucky's star players well. Their defense was good enough to disrupt a great Kentucky team, and that was a mark of great coaching.
In the end, Texas Western defeated Kentucky 72-65
They had no idea that history had just been made. It was the first time a team had won the NCAA playing all black players. It would pave the way for thousands of minority kids to earn a college education. In the next few years hundreds of schools would start recruiting black players.
Adoph Rupp at Kentucky would recruit Tom Payne in 1969. He would become the first black player at the University of Kentucky. At seven foot two, he would also be the tallest.
They sat there watching two great teams take each other on. They never realized what it all meant. Until years later.
Tommy became a lifelong college basketball fan after watching that game.
CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN – SURGERY (APRIL 1966)
It was a warm April evening. Tommy was walking back to the enjoying the sights and smells of spring. It had been a cold wet winter, and Tommy was enjoying the warm weather of spring.
Although most students took Friday evenings off, Tommy wanted to get a head start on his term papers for the end of the year. So, he spent the entire evening at the library. They tossed him out at the eight forty-five closing time. He had to get back to 'The Holley' in time to check in before nine.
Mother Miller greeted him at the reception area.
“Tommy.” she said. “We've been looking everywhere for you. I got a call from Mrs. Thurston during dinner.” She had a concerned look on her face.
“Don't panic, but Dawn is in the hospital.”
“What?” Tommy yelled. His eyes got as big as saucers. “What wrong?” he demanded. “Is she OK?”
Tommy's concern was evident to Mother Miller.
“It's going to be all right,” she said lovingly.
“I don't know much, other than she got ill at school, and they had to call an ambulance.”
Mother Miller continued.
“An ambulance!” Tommy exclaimed. “Oh my God!”
“Tommy, look at me,” she said as she grabbed both his hands. “It'll be OK, they are going to call as soon as they know something.”
“Do they know what's wrong?” Tommy asked, a bit calmer now.
“No, all her mother said was that she may need surgery, and they thought maybe her appendix had ruptured.”
Now Tommy fell apart. All he could think of was his father's sister Susan. “Mother Miller, you don't understand. My Aunt Susan died from a ruptured appendix.” Tommy started pacing.
Mother Miller thought he was going to faint.
“Tommy, I want you to calm down and focus. It will be all right,” she said.
“I'm trying Mother Miller, it's just that she is three hundred miles away and I am not there to be with her.” Tommy said.
“Tommy, you are there with her,” she said as she pointed to his heart.
“Thank you, Mother Miller,” Tommy tried to calm down. “You always know the right thing to say.”
“But now what do I do?” Tommy asked.
He did not hear Bruce come up behind him.
“You go on a road trip my brother,” he heard Bruce say.
“Bruce, Dawn's sick!” Tommy replied.
“Calm down, Tommy. I know.” Bruce said as he put his hand on Tommy's shoulder.
“Mother Miller told me when she came looking for you.” Bruce explained.
“Bruce, I don't know what to do?” Tommy said to his friend.
“I do,” Bruce said. “I called my dad the minute I heard. I caught him at 5:30, just as he was leaving his office. I then called Mr. Ethridge, and got permission for us to leave for the
weekend.”
Tommy looked at his friend, with a confused look on his face.
“Dad will be here in a couple of hours; he'll drive us to Indiana.” he smiled at Tommy.
“You'll be there in the morning when she wakes up.”
Tommy smiled and hugged his friend. “You sir,” he said. “Are the best friend a guy can have. I never should have skipped dinner and gone to the library.”
“Don't worry about it,” Bruce smiled. “Now let's get up the stairs and pack. Time for a 'Road Trip'.”
“Boys, I'll stay by the phone.” Mother Miller said. “I'll come get you when Mrs.Thurston calls.”
Bruce and Tommy were packed with-in the hour. All they could do now was to wait for David Walker to arrive from Morgantown.
After waiting for an hour or so, there was a knock at their door.
Tommy opened the door to see Mother Miller.
“Tommy, I just talked to Mrs. Thurston,” she said. “She only had a second to talk so she did not want me to come get you.”
“Is Dawn OK?' Tommy asked.
“They were just bringing her back from surgery, she told me.”
“And?” Tommy asked.
“That's all I know,” she said.
“I did not tell her you were coming.” Mother Miller continued. “I thought maybe you wanted to surprise Dawn” she smiled at her young charge.
“Now, you boys stay here, I will send Mr. Walker up when he gets here.”
With that said, Mother Miller left feeling bad that she did not tell Tommy the whole story. She could not bear to tell him, that the doctors had found a tumor.
David Walker arrived shortly before eleven o'clock. Mother Miller was still sitting at the reception desk when he arrived. She filled him in on most of what she knew.
The boys were ready when he got there. They piled in the back of the car, and both were asleep before they crossed the Charleston city limits.
Tommy awoke about five thirty as they were going through Richmond, Indiana. Tommy knew they were thirty minutes away from Muncie.
“Good morning Tommy.” his friends' father said. “Sleep OK?”
“Yes sir Mr. Walker.” Tommy replied as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. “And thank you for bringing the pillows and blankets.”
“I figured that you boys might be tired, and you need to be fresh and alert when you get there.” he said.
“Yes sir,” Tommy said. “And thanks again for doing this. I will never forget your kindness.”
“Don't mention it son. I am sure your father would do the same for Bruce.”
Tommy looked at Mr. Walker. “Sir, I think we need to talk.” Tommy said quietly. “Just in case we run into my dad.”
They talked the rest of the way to Muncie. Tommy did not hear his best friend wake up.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT – STRING THEORY
They arrived at Ball Memorial Hospital shortly after six.
“Is there a problem here?” Mr. Walker asked the receptionist, as he joined Tommy at the desk.
“No problem here. Who are you?” she asked with a rude tone.
“I am Mr. Andrews' attorney, ma'am.” he said with a huge smile as he handed her his business card. “David Walker, at your service. We drove all night from West Virginia to get here this morning. I would like to know what floor Miss Thurston is on, so my client can check on her condition. We can do it now. Or we can do it later with a court order. I am sure there is a judge here in your lovely city, that doesn't mind a phone call this early on a Saturday.” he smiled again.
She frowned at the attorney and motioned to the elevators. “Fourth floor, Room 419.”
“Thank you very much.” David said with a bow, as he motioned to the boys to move.
As the trio got on the elevator, Tommy remarked.
“Would you have done that, sir?” He asked.
“No Tommy, that was a bluff. Obviously, we are not family, and it is not regular visiting hours,” he smiled. “She had a perfectly legal right to deny us the information.”
“Lesson to be learned boys,” he said looking at the two friends. “Never take no for an answer and always be nice. Polite always wins over rudeness.”
As the elevator stooped on the fourth floor, Mr. Walker had more advice for the boys.
“Boys, we may not be able to con our way here. Let's just hope that Dawns parents are up here.” he smiled. “If not, let your attorney do the talking,” he said with a wink and a smile.
As Tommy exited the elevator, he saw Mrs. Thurston sitting in a small reception room. She spotted Tommy as he stepped into the hall. A huge smile appeared on her face.
“Tommy!” she exclaimed as she ran to him. ”I am so glad you are here.” She hugged her neighbor and started to cry.
“How did you get here?” she asked. “You poor thing, you must have been up all night.”
Tommy had forgotten his manners.
“I'm sorry Mrs. Thurston,” he said. “This is my roommate and best friend Bruce Walker and his father.”
Mr. Walker extended his hand and said,” David Walker ma'am, please to meet you. Tommy goes on and on about you and your lovely family.”
“Thank you Mr. Walker.” she replied.
“Please,” he interrupted. “Call me David.”
“Is Dawn OK?” Tommy pleaded. “Can I see her?”
Mrs. Thurston took Tommy's hand in hers. “She is OK now and yes, you can see her,” she smiled. “As if I could keep you away. But first we need to talk.”
She led Tommy to a chair across the room.
“Does your father know about your roommate? ” She asked quietly.
“No ma'am, he doesn't. I am hoping that he doesn't find out.” Tommy smiled.
“I won't tell him.” She said. “And I would hate to be around when he finds out,” she laughed as she patted Tommy's hand.
“Now, here is what we know. Dawn got these severe pains in her abdomen at school. She hasn't felt good for about a week. But you know how she is.”
“Yes ma'am, Miss Stubborn.” Tommy said lovingly.
“Yes she is. At first, they thought it was her appendix.”
“That what Mother Miller told me. I got really scared because of what happen to my Aunt Susan.” Tommy said.
“Tommy when I talked to her, I did not want her to tell you the rest. I wanted to wait until we knew for sure.”
“Knew what Mrs. Thurston?”
“They found a huge cyst Tommy,” She started to cry.
“At first they thought it was a tumor.” she continued to cry. “It was in her uterus, and they had to remove it.”
Tommy looked into the eyes of the mother of the love of his life.
“So they removed it and she is fine, right?”
“Yes Tommy, she will be just fine. The cyst was not cancerous, and she will be just fine.” She started crying again.
“That good news, Mrs. Thurston, why the tears?” he asked.
“Tommy, you don't understand.” she looked at him lovingly. “Dawn will never be able to have children,” she said, her eyes again filling with tears.
Tommy thought for only a second.
“So,” he said flatly. “She is OK, and has a whole life ahead of her,” he said. “I don't know about you, but I sure am thrilled.”
For the first time since yesterday, Mildred laughed and laughed loudly. “Out of the mouths of babes,” she said softy.
“Come on Tommy, lets go check on Dawn.”
They left the reception room hand in hand and walked down to room 419.
As they entered, Tommy saw Dawn lying in the bed. She looked so peaceful, covered up to her chin with a white blanket. Her arms lay at each side and Tommy could see the I.V. plugged into her left arm. She was sleeping soundly. The first thought Tommy had when he looked at her was how beautiful she was. God, how he loved this girl.
“Tommy, why don't you sit here a while. I am going to take your friends down to the cafeteria for coffee and get to know them.” She smiled. “Now that you are here, I can leave for a few minutes.” She leaned over and kissed Tommy on the forehead.
“Thank you dear, for coming.” she cried just a bit. “Dawn is right, you are something special.”
“So is she, Mrs. Thurston.” Tommy replied as he sat down. “So is she.”
Tommy sat there holding Dawn's hand and watching the drip, drip, drip of the IV. He thought about how she had stood by him when he got in trouble. He knew that he would never, never let her down, and would be there for her always.
He was just starting to doze off, when he felt a squeeze on his hand. He looked up.
Dawn was crying.
“I prayed that you would come.” She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek. “I was so scared, all I wanted was to have you with me.”
Tommy stood up leaned over and kissed the tear away.
“I will always be here for you.” He said. Then he smiled.
“Oh Tommy,” she started to cry harder. “Did mom tell you?” The tears started to flow in earnest.
“Yes, she told me you were sick, and now you are better. That's all I care about.” Tommy said. “Dawn, I cannot think about what my life would be if I couldn't share it with you.” he said, “So let's stop the tears and be happy.”
“Tommy, you don't understand,” she continued crying. “I won't be able to have babies,” she blurted. “My life is over.”
“Dawn, please stop. Our lives are just beginning.” he said to her. “Do you remember the first letter you wrote to me after I was banished to West Virginia?”
Dawn nodded her head.
“I was so sure you would never want to see me again. My heart was breaking, I knew I had messed it all up,” Tommy then smiled.
“But you wrote to me. You said, 'we will get through this together,” he paused. “It's OK, we will get through this together. You and me,” he paused. Tommy thought back to a conversation he had with Mrs. Reitz. She told him that these years would go by in a flash. They would be a small part of his life. He knew what to say.
“Will you do something for me?” Tommy asked.
“Yes, Tommy, for you anything.”
Tommy continued. “I want you to imagine a string. You are holding one end of it in your hand.” He looked at her.
“Are you holding it?” he asked.
“Yes Tommy, I am holding it.” she was still choking back tears.
“This string you are holding is your life. It goes out the door, down the hall, down the elevator, and out the front door. OK?” he smiled.
“OK, it's out the door.” she said.
“Out the door it goes and it goes all the down Riverside Avenue to Wheeling Avenue. Then it goes all the way to your house.” Now she was trying to smile.
“The string is at my house.” she smiled.
“Now take the first six inches of that string you are holding and pretend to cut it off,” Tommy said.
“I don't understand,” she pleaded. “What are you talking about?”
“Dawn, the first six inches of that string represents this week. That's all. How much string do you have left?” He asked.
She looked at him in wonderment.
“Lot's Tommy, I have lots of string left.” Now she was smiling.
“You see Dawn, what happens this week is just an itty bitty part of your life. It should not have any effect on who or what you are the rest of your life.” he held back a tear.
“My love, you are alive and are going to be alright. That's all I care about and that's all you should care about. Just remember I love you.”
Now she was crying again, but this time it was tears of joy and love.
“When I was on the bus going to Charleston for the first time, I told my story to Mr. Kremer. I didn't know it at the time, that he was the History teacher at Briarwood. He told me that I had been dealt a 'bad hand'. No question about it. It may have been wrong and unfair, but it was what it was.” he smiled at her.
Tommy continued. “He also told me to quit feeling sorry for myself and move on. He said to worry about the things I could control.”
Dawn looked up at Tommy with love in her eyes.
“I have two things to say. He is right, and I love you Thomas Curtis Andrews.”
It was the first time he had heard his name given that way, and liked it.
He leaned over and kissed her tenderly.
Neither Tommy nor Dawn has seen Gary standing in the doorway.
“Geez you guys, give it a rest,” he laughed.
Tommy turned to see Gary Thurston standing in front of him with his hand out.
“Tommy, I'm glad you were able to get here.” Gary said as they shook hands then hugged.
“Actually Gary, I have the best roommate in the world. His father came down from Morgantown, picked us up and drove us here.”
“I got to meet them down in the cafeteria,” Gary said.
He looked at Tommy. “Does your dad and brother know?”
“Your mother asked the same question,” Tommy smiled. “No, they don't. I hope they don't find out.”
“Well, do me a favor and let me know when they do, I want to be there.” he laughed.
“Your mother said just the opposite.” Tommy said with a grin.
Dawn waved at the two. “Hey guys, I am over here.” She said pointing to herself with a strained laugh. “You wanna fill me in?”
Gary walked over and kissed his sister.
“Well sis,” he said with a laugh. “It seems your boyfriend here, never told anyone that his roommate was a minority.”
“Tommy, for real? And you've never told anyone? Why?”
“Well sweetheart, no one ever asked.”
They all laughed.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE -- RACIST (APRIL 1966)
It was obvious to Tommy that Dawn was tired and hurting but putting up a good front. He was about to suggest that he and Gary let her rest, but a doctor came in and did it for him.
“Alright you two, out while I check on my patient.” Said a man in a white coat. His name tag said 'Dr. Dunning.'
Tommy and Gary each gave Dawn a quick kiss and left Dr. Dunning and his nurse do their job. As the two friends walked into the waiting room, they found that Mrs. Thurston had returned from the cafeteria with Bruce and his father.
Tommy went over and filled the Walkers in on Dawn's condition.
Tommy saw his mother and father as they stepped out of the elevator. They had heard the news from another neighbor and came to the hospital to see how Dawn was doing.
Margaret immediately smiled and started to run into the room.
“Damn,” Tommy exclaimed.
“What's wrong?” Mr. Walker asked.
“My folks are here.” Tommy sighed.
“Tommy be cool,” Mr. Walker advised. “I have handled much worse in my life. It'll be OK”
“Tommy!” Margaret exclaimed as she hugged her son. ”How in the world did you get here?”
“Hi mom.” Tommy said as he hugged her.
Tommy regained his composure. It was do or die time.
“Mom, Dad, this is my roommate and best friend Bruce Walker and his father. Mr. Walker brought us.”
Both John and Margaret were stunned and did not respond. John looked at Bruce then at David. He said nothing and ignored David's extended hand.
“Son,” John looked sternly at Tommy. “Hallway. NOW!” He pointed to the hall without an acknowledgment to Bruce or Mr. Walker.
Tommy shot a scared glance at Mr. Walker. David silently mouthed the words. “It'll be OK.”
Tommy did not act fast enough to suit his father. John grabbed him by the arm. “I said now!”
John forcefully led Tommy out in the hall.
Tommy had a bad feeling this was not going to go well.
“What in the hell is that school doing!” he yelled at Tommy with a voice everyone could hear. “Making you room with a nigger!” His face was deep red. Tommy had only seen him this mad once before. It was the night Tommy was expelled.
“And furthermore, young man, who in the hell gave you permission to travel three hundred miles with those two?” John was livid.
“Sir,” Tommy had regained his composure. Tommy would no longer allow this man to push him around.
“The school did not make me room with anyone,” Tommy said sternly. “They asked me, and I said yes. And furthermore, when I am at school Mr. Ethridge is in charge. Period. He gave us permission and that's good enough for me. Bruce is my best friend. I am welcome in their home and have spent many weekends with them in Morgantown. You would know that if you cared enough to take the time to ask me about my life.” By this time, he was staring John right in the eyes. Tommy had grown up. He continued to stare.
“Well, you can bet your ass, I will be talking to Ethridge about this, first thing Monday morning.” John said loudly.
“Go right ahead, you do that.” Tommy continued to stare down his father.
“And one more thing,” Tommy said. “Don't you ever call my friend by that name again. Do you understand me?” he continued; the rage evident on his face. “That word is the foulest word in the English language, and I never want to hear it come out of your mouth again. It makes me sick to hear that word. Only idiots, and morons use that kind of word. Bruce and his family have shown me more love in the last year, than you have my whole life,” he paused, “Sir.”
Tommy was done. Never in his life had he talked to his father this way. All the years of John's lack of interest in him, had come to the surface. He glanced over at is mother. She was crying.
John was stunned. He had never been talked to in that way, and he reacted in the only way he knew how. He hit his son. Not a slap, but a full-fledged punch to the jaw.
“John,” Margaret yelled. John suddenly felt the same way Tommy did after he hit his gym teacher. He knew he had stepped over the line and there was no return.
As this all played out in the hall, Walter Thurston was just stepping off the elevator. He got to John first.
“John, what in the hell are you doing?” Walter yelled at his neighbor as grabbed John from behind and turned him away from Tommy. John did not reply.
“Get out!” he said to John with a raised voice. “My daughter is laying in a hospital bed, and you come here and pick a fight?” Walter looked at John. “What is wrong with you?”
“Are you OK, son?” he asked the boy. Tommy nodded. Tommy had taken a lot of verbal abuse from his father, but never anything physical.
John shook his head and turned back to his son. “This isn't over, young man. I will not have you associating with,” he paused. “Those kinds of people.”
Walter gave John a small shove towards the elevator. “Go!” he said sternly.
Margaret started to run to Tommy. He put his hands up. “No mom, not now,” he said firmly.
Anger was written all over his face. She stopped dead in her tracks.
Several nurses had gathered around. They backed away when the realized that everything was under control. Luckily, no one called security.
Tommy calmly walked back into the waiting room and sat down next to Bruce.
All Tommy could say was, “Bruce, I am so sorry.”
Bruce put his arm on his best friend's shoulder. “You don't have to apologize for anything. You're not responsible for him, only yourself. You're my best friend and always will be. You are in no way responsible for his actions. Nothing that man does or says will change our friendship.”
“Tommy, Bruce is right. Don't let it get to you, it's alright,” David Walker said. “By the way son, that was one hell of a speech you just gave. Thank you.” David smiled.
Soon they were all gathered around Tommy trying to make him feel better. The punch did not cause any damage, as Tommy's reflexes again saved the day.
It was then that Tommy realized that his mother was gone.
He looked up at the group. “I want you all to do me a favor,” he said.
It was Gary who spoke first. “Anything Tommy.”
“I don't want Dawn to hear about this, not now.” he said sternly. “She has enough on her mind.”
They all agreed. It was Mildred who suggested that Walter stay with Dawn, while the rest of them went to the Thurston's to clean up and rest a awhile.
Mr. Walker suggested that he and Bruce should go find a motel.
“Positively under no circumstances will I allow that.” Mildred said. “Like it or not, you are all part of the family now.” she smiled at David. “Not everyone in this city is like John.”
“All of you are staying at our house. May be a bit crowded but we will have fun with it. Period.”
Tommy laughed as he looked at Bruce and his dad. “And when she says 'period', all discussion is over.”
Tommy wanted to stay at the hospital, but Mildred convinced him to go get cleaned up and eat something. He said he would, once she agreed that Gary could bring him back.
CHAPTER SIXTY – APOLOGY UNACCEPTED
Tommy felt a little better after a quick shower. He was happy to discover that the Thurston's had chicken the night before and had plenty of leftovers. It reminded Tommy of that first dinner he shared in their home. It was the night he saw Dawn for the first time.
They were just finishing up a late lunch and Tommy was in a hurry to get back to Dawn. The doorbell interrupted his thoughts.
Mildred led Tommy's mother into the kitchen.
“Tommy,” Margaret said. She obviously had been crying. “May I talk to you outside?”
Tommy looked at his mother, and actually had a touch of sympathy for her.
“Mother, anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of my friends.” He said without emotion.
“OK son, if that's what you want.” she replied.
“I want to apologize for your father. He is sorry he hit you.” Margaret said.
“Mother,” Tommy looked up at her from the table. “He is the one that should be here apologizing, not you. Furthermore, he owes my best friend and his father an apology as well.”
“Well,” she continued. “You know as well as I that is not going to happen. Just so you understand, I agree with your father. We are demanding that you either get a new roommate or come home.”
She looked over at Mr. Walker. “No offense.” She said to the man.
Mr. Walker looked at her with a smile and said, “Offense taken. Ma'am.”
Margaret started to turn to leave when Mr. Walker stood up.
“One moment Mrs. Andrews,” he said. She turned to face him.
“Your son warned me about your husband. I was hoping for his sake that maybe he was exaggerating just a bit. You see ma'am, I have listened to that sort of racism all my life.” He smiled in a most polite way. “I'm used to it.”
David looked her intently and continued.
“I am a member of the West Virginia Bar Association. I practice law at one of the most prestigious law firms in the state. My wife is a Professor of English and American Literature at West Virginia University. I would bet anything that my wife and I are more educated than you and your husband. We probably make ten times as much money. But I would never tell my son what type of person his friend should be. That is his decision, not mine nor his mothers. We know that we have raised Bruce and his younger sister to make all the right choices in life. Frankly, we all fell in love with Tommy the minute we met him. Your son is a fine young man, who believes in judging people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin,” he paused for effect. “Obviously, he did not learn that at home.”
Margaret just stared at the man. She had never been talked to in this manner.
“Tommy is now part of our family and is welcome in our home anytime. It is too bad you and your husband don't feel the same way,” he said. “But I am sure the boys will get over it.”
Margaret did not say a word in response, she just turned again to leave.
“Mrs. Andrews, I am not finished.” He said sternly.
Margaret turned back around to face David.
“As we pulled into Muncie this morning, I asked your son to give me a dollar.”
“So,” she said defiantly. She had never been talked to in this way, in her life.
“That dollar signifies that he has hired me as his attorney, with all the attorney-client privileges that comes with it,” he paused again. “So, speaking as your son's attorney, I have a message for your husband.” he looked directly at Margaret.
“If I ever hear that he has touched this boy again, in any way,” Margaret's eyes were open as wide as they could be.
“I will have him put in jail, charged with child abuse, before he can blink his eyes. Do you understand that ma'am?” he said with a smile. “Have I made myself perfectly clear?”
Tommy knew his mother had just been put in her place with style and dignity. But he also knew that his best friend's father had just scared the hell out of her.
He looked over at Mr. Walker as his mother left the Thurston's.
Tommy walked over to David and hugged him, then he looked up at him with a smile.
“Now that sir, was one hell of a speech.”
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE – THE WEEKEND
Margaret and John did not resurface the rest of the weekend. Tommy spent as much time as possible at the hospital with Dawn and her family. Bruce and his dad spent some time driving round and getting to know his friend's hometown. Bruce was amazed at how large the High
School Field House was. “Man, these people are nuts,” he told his father. Bruce thought the Indian on the horse statue was a bit racist, but in general he liked the city. He was more than a bit bothered by the huge Confederate Flag flying at South Side High School.
Tommy either slept at the hospital or crashed in Gary's room. Tommy learned that Mr. Walker called Charleston and talked to Mr. Ethridge. He filled him in on how Dawn was doing and got permission for Bruce and Tommy to miss Monday classes. David got another member of his firm to cover for him on Monday so he could stay with the boys. That way the two friends would not have to take the bus back to Charleston on Monday. He did not tell Tommy that he told Mr. Ethridge about the incident with his father. He wanted the headmaster to be prepared for a Monday morning phone call.
Mr. Ethridge laughed and said to David. “I knew John in college but never expected this out of him. He's changed. Don't worry, I can handle Andrews.”
By the time Dawn was two days out of surgery she was feeling better but still hurting.
Having Tommy there was a dream come true for Dawn. Tommy kept asking Gary to join them in the room, but Gary wanted his sister and Tommy to have as much alone time as possible. He knew she would be lonely when Tommy left. He would get his time with his sister.
Sunday evening found Tommy and Dawn alone while everyone else went to the cafeteria.
“Tommy?” Dawn asked. “Are you going to tell me?”
“Tell you what?” Tommy asked.
“About the fight between you and your dad in the hall.”
Tommy had no idea she knew. “How did you find out?” he asked sheepishly.
“My love, this is a hospital, people talk. I heard about it from one of the nurses. They didn't give any names, but I didn't have to get a brain surgeon to figure it out for me. I may not be as smart as you,” she paused then turned her head just a bit and grinned. “But I'm damn close.”
So, Tommy reluctantly told her the whole story. He left nothing out.
After he finished his story about the altercation, Dawn was quiet for a moment.
“Tommy?” She asked.
“Yes”
“The day you and Bruce were jumped in that alley,” he knew what was coming. “It was a racial thing, wasn't it?”
“Yes, it was,” he sighed. “I did not tell you about Bruce because I was afraid that my father would find out,” he paused. “Well, he did find out, and his reaction was exactly what I was afraid of.”
“Tommy,” Dawn said. “I want you to promise me that from now on,” she paused. “No secrets, OK?” She took his hand in hers.
Tommy looked down at the floor.
“OK sweetie, I promise,” Tommy said. Then he told her the whole story about what happened in that alley, including the knife. He would tell her everything from now on. Except about the incident in the hallway at Storer Junior High School. Only a small handful of people knew that part of Tommy's life. But one day soon Dawn would hear the whole story.
But Monday morning came, and it was time for young Tommy to head back to Charleston.
David dropped Tommy off at the hospital and he and Bruce waited in the car to give Tommy time to run in and say goodbye. They wanted to give Tommy a few minutes alone with Dawn.
As Tommy came into the room the doctor was just leaving. He had a smile on his face.
“She is doing just fine, young man. I may let her go home tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Doctor Dunning. I appreciate what you have done for Dawn,” Tommy said. “And I know you stretched the rules a bit to allow me to spend a lot of time with her. Thank you.”
“My pleasure Tommy, now go see your young lady.” he said with a smile.
Tommy went into the room and gave Dawn a kiss. It was time to say goodbye. Dawn was crying.
“I was just laying here, thinking.” Dawn said to Tommy. “I was thinking about what your dad may do.”
Tommy smiled. “Don't worry about that. It'll be OK. I know he is probably calling Mr. Ethridge right this moment.
“Poor Mr. Ethridge.” Dawn sighed.
“Sweetie, he can handle my dad.” Tommy smiled.
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO – THE PHONE CALL
At that very moment, John Andrews was indeed calling the school. Thanks to David Walker, Ray Ethridge was ready. He told Mrs. Derosa to put John through the moment he called.
“John,” he started the conversation. “How is Tommy's friend doing?” Of course, he knew how Dawn was doing, as he was getting regular updates from Bruce's father.
“Never mind that Ethridge,” John barked. “What the hell is going on down there?”
“Whatever are you talking about John?” he asked politely.
“You know damn well what I am talking about. How long has my son been living with that nigger?”
“Well John,” Mr. Ethridge replied calmly. “First, if you want this conversation to continue, you will have to calm down. And you will not use any more racist terms to describe your son's
roommate and best friend.”
“Damn it Ethridge, I sent that boy down there to straighten him out. Look what you have done to him. Now he's a nigger lover,” he said loudly.
“Yes John, I have certainly ruined your boy, I am sorry.” Ethridge replied quickly then continued.
“I took a confused, lonely, unloved, disgruntled D student, and now he is a well-liked, studious young man who gets straight A's. I'm so sorry.” He waited for John to reply.
“How long has this roommate situation been going on?” John barked again, still not calm.
“Well, if you must know, since his first night here.” Ethridge said.
“And who in the hell gave my son permission to get in a car with those people and come to Indiana,” John demanded. “Not to mention trips to Morgantown?”
“Actually John, if you re-read the 'Briarwood Parental Contract' that you and your wife signed, you'll see that you gave me and this school permission to make any of those decisions on behalf of your son. I've known David Walker for years. Tommy could not be in better hands,”
Ray paused. “You did read that document, didn't you? Or were you just in a hurry to get rid of your son?” The headmaster's patience was growing thinner and thinner.
“Damn it Ethridge, you should have told me.” John was still upset, and Ray Ethridge was at his wits end. Enough was enough.
“John, your son has been here almost twelve months. In that time, you and your wife have been here, let's see. Oh, you have never been here to visit, not even on Parents Day. You told me you had to work. Do you want to know how that boy felt, when his parents wouldn't take the time to come visit?” He paused. “I'll tell you how he felt. He sat in his room all day that Saturday and read. While all his friends and classmates were showing their parents and families around our lovely city, your son sat alone in his room. You called me a year ago and begged me to take him on. He was out of control you said. You told me he couldn't be handled.”
John said nothing.
“You begged me, John. You were at your wits end. I told you I would help. I put my job on the line for you.”
“You put him on a bus. Without an escort I might add and dumped him on us. Do you have any idea how terrified that boy was? All you wanted was to get rid of him, so you didn't have to deal with his problems. Do you know what I found at the bus station that evening?”
Again, John said nothing, but Ethridge could hear him breathing.
“I found a confused, scared, and unloved young boy. That's all. We found him to be highly above average in intelligence, and he has prospered here. A completely different young man than what you described. He is a pleasure to teach. All the students love him, and so do his teachers. He is thriving, no thanks to you. Every kid in this school is his friend, and you have the gall to complain about it? Tommy and Bruce have bonded. They are closer than brothers, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about that.”
John finally regained his composure.
“How dare you talk to me like that? Who the hell do you think you are? You are supposed to be my friend.” John said with a raised voice.
“John, I still want to be your friend, we go way back together. But Tommy is my top priority right now, as are all of my students. If I have to lose a friendship in order to help that young man, or any of my other students, I will.” he paused. “In a split second.”
“When I sent him away, I told him he would spend summer school and ninth grade there,” John replied. “I never talked about high school. Maybe it's time I allowed him to come home.”
Mr. Ethridge could not believe what he was hearing.
“John, think about what you are saying,” Ethridge was trying to keep calm. He could not let John put Tommy back in that home or school system. Especially since David had told him about the altercation in the hospital hallway.
Ethridge continued. “Do you want to throw him back with the bullies, and other assorted kids? I am sure the educational system is fine in Indiana. But it is not right for Tommy, and you know it. He will be a D student again in three months if you have your way.” Ethridge had to think fast.
“Is that what you want for your son John? I don't think so. Or is this just about race? It is certainly not about money. I thought you were better than that.”
“I just don't like it Ray. I just don't like it.” John replied.
“John, are you upset that he is doing so much better here than with you? That's not like the friend I had in college. The friend I had would have wanted the best for his boy, no matter what, or where that was.” Ethridge was out of options, so he took a leap of faith.
“John, you know as well as I that Tommy should stay right here for High School. This is the best place for him.”
“I don't know Ray. When I sent him away I said I would decide about High School later.”
John said calmly.
“Why don't we let Tommy decide?” Ray said.
“I'll just tell him that we can't afford it anymore.” John bluffed.
Ray called him on it. “John if you do that, I will make sure that Tommy is told of the financial arrangements you made.”
“You wouldn't,” John barked.
“Oh yes, I will. He's going to find out eventually,” Ethridge said. “And if that doesn't work, I will put him on a full scholarship. In fact, I may do that anyway. In case you give a damn, he is at the top of his class.”
“Ray, you are such a fool. Are you forgetting that Tommy thinks he's in love?” he said sarcastically with a chuckle.
“I know that John, but I also know Tommy is smart and from what I hear, this young girl is just as smart. I think they will make the right decision.” he paused. “As long as we stay out of it.”
“So, are you saying that you think you know my son better than I do?” John barked at his old friend.
Ethridge let out a breath. “Yes, John, that is exactly what I am saying.” He hoped he was right.
“Regardless, I want him out of that room and in with a white boy.” John said sternly.
“John, I could agree to that. Then I could go behind your back. You would never know because you never visit your son. If you do, I can always restrict your access to the rooms.”
“You wouldn't,” John remarked.
“No, I don't need to do that. Because there is no way in hell that I will split those two boys up,” Ethridge said calmly but firmly.
“And with that said, John. This conversation is over.” Ethridge then hung up the phone. He buried his head in his hands. He thought he might lose this one.
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE – REFLECTIONS (JUNE 1965)
Ethridge thought back to that fateful phone call from John almost a year ago.
He had not heard from his old college roommate for many years. John had dropped out of school after two years at W.V.U. in Morgantown, and the two had lost touch with each other.
John had heard from another classmate that Ray was running a boarding school in Charleston. It did not take John long to track down his old friend and roommate.
“John, it's been a few years.” Ray exclaimed. “How have you been?”
“Fine Ray, fine. I've been with Westinghouse since I left college,” John replied. “But I have a serious problem I need some help with.”
“What can I do for you, John?”
“I have a fourteen-year-old son that's totally out of control. Bad grades, fights in school, and he just got expelled for the rest of the school year.”
“Not good John. I am sorry to hear that,” Ray said. “What seems to be the problem?”
“I wish I knew; he just keeps getting into fights. His grades are in the toilet. I was wondering if your school could help him.”
“We're not a school for troubled teens John,” Ray replied. “Briarwood is a highly academic college preparatory school. From what you are saying, I doubt seriously if your son would succeed here.”
“Ray, I am at the end of my rope here.” John was pleading with his old friend. “I don't know what to do with him. The school says he is smart, but his grades don't reflect it.”
Ray thought for a moment. He did not want to let his old friend down.
“John, forgive me for asking this, but I must. Does Westinghouse pay you enough to afford our twelve thousand dollar per year tuition? And from what you say, his grades are not close enough to be awarded a scholarship. Perhaps we could look into some financial aid.”
“Ray,” John replied. “You let me worry about the money, just get my kid into that school. We don't need any financial aid.”
“Tell you what, John,” He replied. “Send me all his school records. If his IQ scores are good, maybe I can fit him in on a trial basis. That's a big if and a huge maybe, and a bigger I doubt it.”
“They will go in the mail in the morning.” John replied.
“But I need to know how you are going to pay for this.” Ray remarked. “If I stick my neck out like this, I want to make sure it doesn't get cut off.” Ray laughed. “We are not that good of friends.”
“OK,” John sighed. “Here is what I can do. But you have to keep this between us.”
“I'll decide that after I hear it.” Ethridge said firmly.
“My father passed away a few years ago,” John began. “Tommy was named after him and was always his favorite. He left everything he had in a trust fund for Tommy's education.”
“So, is this trust enough?” Ray asked.
“Yeah Ray, it's more than enough.” John remarked sarcastically. “If we're careful, it's more than enough for Tommy to go to your little school and whatever college he chooses.” John paused.
“But right now, I am not thinking about college, I just want him to get through high school, and keep him out of jail,” John said.
Raymond thought something was amiss in this conversation. He did not like John's attitude and thought his biggest concern was getting rid of the boy, not helping him.
“So, Tommy will be paying his own way?” Ethridge asked.
“Yes and no,” John continued. “I control the trust until he is twenty-five. I can't use if for any other purpose but for Tommy's education, then he gets whatever is left over. We have an
attorney overseeing the trust. He will give me the money for distribution.”
“I will need a letter from the trust for our Board of Directors, outlining all of this.” Ray said.
“Agreed, I will have our attorney call your office tomorrow.” John said. “And one more thing Ray.”
“Yes?” Ray replied.
“Tommy does not know about the trust and he won't until he is twenty five. Got it?”
“And why not tell him John? It might make a difference.” Ray asked.
“I can't. His older brother George would be crushed, and I won't do that to him,” John said.
Ray did not understand what John was thinking.
“John, both boys will find out eventually.”
“You let me worry about that Ray, just help the boy. It's either you or a Military School.”
“Alright John,” his friend said. “I will see what I can do, but no promises.”
John had to agree. “Fair enough.” he told his friend.
Ethridge had to warn his friend, “John, I think you are making a huge mistake in not telling your sons about this trust fund. I am afraid that decision may come back to haunt you.”
“My decision, Ray.” John quickly replied.
“OK, John,” Ethridge replied. “I want you to know, if it was anyone else, I would never consider this. This is a major favor I am doing for you. I’m sticking my neck out on this.”
“Ray, I appreciate it,” John said with a sigh of relief. “I just didn't know where else to go.”
“Fine John. Fine,” Ethridge replied. “Tell me more about your son.”
John told him about some of the incidents, and they talked for another twenty minutes about the school. Ray said he would call John after he got Tommy's records.
True to his words, John sent all of Tommy's records via mail. Ray had them two days later.
As he looked everything over, he was confused. Tommy had stretches of good grades, and then they would fall. He did great in grades one through six. However, after the move to Indiana, something happened. His IQ score was way above average. In fact, Tommy's score was higher than any of his current students. Ray realized that Tommy's bad grades were not from a lack of intelligence.
There was some other cause for all this trouble.
He called the Junior High in Muncie and talked to Dr. Howard. The Storer principal told Ray that he would be crazy to take on this student, but that he would be glad to be rid of him. Five minutes into the conversation, as Dr. Howard ranted on and on about this troublemaker, Mr. Ethridge made up his mind. This child needed help. He knew that with his high IQ, Tommy should be a straight A student. Something was terribly wrong here. He wondered how this clown ever got a Doctorate in Education.
He decided to take a chance on the boy.
It took an hour of pleading before the Board of Directors to get Tommy in. He hoped he was not making a big mistake and that Tommy was not too far behind in his studies.
The ringing phone brought Ethridge back to the present. He had to go on with his day.
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR – HAVE TO DECIDE APRIL 1966
The boys arrived back in Charleston early Monday evening, in time for dinner. David dropped them off at the school and made his way back to Morgantown.
During dinner, everyone stopped by to ask Tommy how Dawn was doing. All the concern seemed to overwhelm the young boy. A group of the girls had made a huge get-well card and wanted Dawn's address. Everyone at the school signed it. He was glad to have these kids as his friends.
After dinner, as the boys were at their desks studying, there was a knock on the door. Tommy opened the door. It was Mr. Ethridge. Mr. Ethridge hardly ever came into 'The Holley'.
“Tommy, glad you are back.” He said. “Dawn is doing well, I trust?”
“Yes sir, thank you for asking and letting us stay an extra day.” Tommy said as he motioned Mr. Ethridge to enter the room.
“Tommy, both of you boys are excellent students. Missing one day would not be the end of the world.” He smiled at both boys.
“Tommy, may I speak with you for a moment?” he asked.
Tommy knew by the question and the look from Mr. Ethridge, that he meant 'in private.'
“Sir, if you don't mind, I kept my father's attitude from Bruce. I shouldn't have done that. We have no secrets.” Tommy replied looking over at his friend.
“I assume that he called you this morning.” Tommy asked.
Mr. Ethridge smiled. “Yes, the minute I arrived at my office. That's why I am here.”
Tommy waited for him to continue.
“I want you to know that I talked to David Walker. He told me the whole story of what went on at the hospital.”
Tommy nodded as he looked down at the floor.
“Tommy, I am sorry.” He sighed. “Your father is not the same man I knew in college. He has changed.”
Ethridge continued. “To make a long story short. Your dad wants you to have a new roommate and come home at the end of the term and go to Central in the fall.”
Tommy was shocked. This had to be a joke. His father could care less if he ever came home.
“Sir, I don't understand.” Tommy looked over at Bruce.
“That's unfair. Not to mention racist,” Bruce exclaimed. “You can't let that happen.”
Tommy looked over at Bruce. He held his hand out to signal Bruce to calm down.
“Sir,” he looked back at his headmaster. “He is playing games.”
“Yes, Tommy, he may be,” Ethridge said. “I did talk him into letting you decide. We agreed to both stay out of your decision. So, I guess you have some thinking to do. You can go home now or stay here and finish the year. Your decision.” Ethridge was going to honor the deal he made with John, not to interfere.
“Sir, what about High School?” Tommy asked.
“Your choice as well, son. Your father and I agreed to stay out of it. It is your decision to make,”
Ethridge smiled at his favorite student.
“I am not changing roommates.” Tommy said flatly. “As Dawn's mother would say. 'Period.'”
Ethridge smiled at his young student. “Yes, I told your father that changing room mates was not an option.”
“Thank you sir,” Bruce said quickly.
As Ethridge bid the boys a good night, Tommy sat on the bed, speechless. Bruce said nothing.
Tommy finally went to his desk and grabbed pen and paper.
April 8, 1966
Dear Dawn,
Mr. Ethridge just told me that my dad wants me to change roommates then come home and go to Central at the end of the term. He said that it was entirely up to me.
He convinced my dad to let me decide.
Dawn, I don't know what to do. I miss you so much and want to be with you. I just don't know if coming back now is such a good idea. I know that George will be off to college in the fall, so I would not have to deal with him.
But I still am mad at dad for sending me away. I do love it here and am doing well. Would I do this well at Central??
What should I do???????
Love you and miss you like crazy,
Tommy
CHAPTER SIXTY-FIVE – PONDERING
(April 1966)
Somehow Tommy got through the next several weeks. With the end of the term on the horizon, Tommy concentrated on his term papers and studying for his final exams. Everyone knew that something was bothering him, but he only told a few the whole story. He asked many of them for advice. Everyone he talked to wanted him to stay.
Late one Saturday afternoon as Tommy came back from his workout, he was met by Mother Miller in the lobby.
“Tommy please come into my apartment for a bit. I need to talk to you privately. If you have some time.”
“Sure, Mother Miller, I always have time for you.”
Tommy knew this was a special occasion and important. Very few students had ever been invited into her private domain. As they entered her private living quarters, he was amazed at all the antiques, she owned.
As Tommy looked around the room, he saw a framed picture hanging on the wall of a handsome man in a military uniform. Tommy realized that it was her husband Ted, who was killed in the 'Battle of Cantigny' on May 28,1918.
“Tommy,” she said as they sat down in the living room. “I know about the decision you have to make. I normally make it a policy not to interfere with the lives of our students, unless I feel they are about to do something stupid.” she smiled at him.
“Am I about to do something stupid, Mother Miller?”
“I hope not son I truly hope not,” she looked at him with a serious tone. "I know you think you love this girl back home, and she obviously thinks she loves you. But you are both too young to make decisions based on any so called 'love' at your age.”
Tommy sat there quietly.
“I am not going to tell you what to do,” Mother Miller continued. “However, I want you to do something for me.”
Tommy finally spoke. “And that is?”
“I want you to make a pro and con list,” she got up and started pacing the room. “On the left side of page one, list all the good things about Charleston and Briarwood. One the right, list all the bad things,” she paused for effect. “On the other page do the same thing for your hometown and Muncie Central,” she smiled.
“I will do that, Mother Miller,” he replied with a broad smile.
“Once you do that, you will know what decision to make. But remember, you must think about where you will get the best education. That has to be at the top of the list. This may be the
most important decision of your life.”
“Thank you, Mother Miller,” Tommy said. “I’ve not thought about it that way yet, but I will.”
“One more thing,” Mother Miller said. “Mrs. Thurston wants to talk to you as well.”
She saw concern sweep across his face. “Don't worry, Dawn is fine. In fact, she doesn't want Dawn to even know about your conversation. She called me this morning and we had a most wonderful chat. She is so proud of you. You are like a son to her.” Mother Miller moved towards the door. “Use my private line there on the desk. Call her and talk as long as you need to.” She winked at him and was gone.
As he dialed Dawn's number, he realized his hands were shaking. He had no reason to be nervous, this woman was like a mother to him. This private talk could be no worse than the first talk they had when he went home for Christmas.
CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX – HEART TO HEART PT II
Mildred answered on the first ring. “Hello Mrs. Thurston, this is Tommy. Mother Miller said you wanted me to call. Is Dawn OK?”
“Yes, Tommy. She is doing great. Almost back to her old self. How are you? Everything alright down there?” she asked.
“Yes ma'am, just fine. Except I miss Dawn and all of you.”
“We miss you too, son.” she said. “And that's what I want to talk to you about.”
“Yes ma'am.” Tommy said.
“Tommy, you know Walter and I both love you like you were one of our own.”
“Yes ma'am, thank you for that.” Tommy had no idea where this conversation was going.
“I don't want to stick my nose in something that isn't my business,” she paused. “But this is too important, so I need to say something.”
“Mrs. Thurston, it is your business, and I would appreciate your advice. I trust you and I am still undecided. I want to come home to Dawn in the worst way,” he paused. “But I love this school and this city.”
“And you are getting a great education, are you not?” she asked.
“The best, Mrs. Thurston.”
“There you go son; you know what you need to do. I know that my daughter loves you more than anything else in the world. You both are so young. But you both are surviving the time apart, and it seems to have brought you even closer together,” Tommy could tell she was starting to cry.
“Tommy, she will be here for you. No matter when you come home.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy said. “You and Mr. Thurston have been like parents to me. Gary is like a brother. I love you all very much.”
“Tommy, you know this decision is the most important of your life. I know you will make the right one.”
“Thank you Mrs. Thurston,” Tommy said quietly.
“And one more thing I want to to ask yourself, before you decide,” she said.
“What's that?” he asked.
“I want you to ask yourself if you really want to spend the next three years in that house up the street?”
“Mrs. Thurston, I will definitely think about that.”
As Tommy hung up the phone all that came to his mind was, 'that is one smart lady.'
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN – A TALK WITH DAVID
Tommy and Bruce were at their desks studying when all of a sudden Tommy threw his pencil across the room.
“Tommy,” Bruce exclaimed. “What gives?”
“Sorry Bruce, I didn't mean to startle you,” Tommy sighed. "I'm just so damn frustrated, I just don't know what to do.”
Bruce put down his pencil and closed his book. He got up and went over to Tommy's bed and sat down. He looked at his best friend.
“It's OK. Want to tell me about it?” he asked.
“If I do, you'll try to convince me to stay, and I don't want to argue with the best friend I've ever had.” Tommy sighed again.
“Oh, the stay or go argument,” Bruce laughed. “I'm not gonna try to convince you to stay. You have to do what is best for you, not me. We're best friends. We're connected forever. Whether you are in Indiana, West Virginia or on the moon, we are still best friends,” he looked at Tommy.
“That's not gonna change. You know where I stand on the subject. You're not getting rid of me that easily.”
Bruce got up and put his hand on Tommy's shoulder.
“You'll do the right thing.”
Tommy looked at his best friend.
“But I don't know what the best thing is.” Tommy sighed.
“Yes, you do. Your supposed to be so damn smart. Why are you having so much trouble with this simple decision?”
“I don't know Bruce, I just don't know,” Tommy replied.
Bruce smiled. “I know exactly what we need.”
“And that is?” Tommy asked.
“Two bus tickets to Morgantown. You my friend, need to get away from all this,” he smiled.
“No argument. I'll set it up. We are getting out of here for the weekend.”
The next day, Bruce went down to the Grayhound station and booked two seats for the late Friday afternoon route to Morgantown. Bruce never told Tommy that he called David first. Mr. Walker would be waiting for them at the bus station.
That weekend Tommy lost himself in Mary Ann's home cooking and playing board games with Susan.
Saturday evening after dinner, Tommy offered to help Mary Ann with the dishes, but David Walker stopped him.
“Bruce and Susan can do that Tommy. How about you and me taking a walk?” It was a question, but Tommy knew it meant something.
“Sure Mr. Walker,” he replied as he got up from the chair.
They did not get to the end of the driveway before David spoke up.
“I know that Bruce has been staying out of this decision that you have to make,” he smiled.
“But I'm not.”
Tommy looked up at the man. This was his surrogate father and he trusted and loved him.
“Son,” he paused. “and you are like a son to me. Short and sweet, you need to stay at Briarwood,” he paused again and smiled. “And you know it.”
“I know sir, I know that would be the right decision for me. But I just can't seem to make it.” he sighed. “Sir, I love that school, Bruce and all of you.” he stopped to collect his thoughts. “But I love Dawn too.”
“Tommy, I am sure that Dawn will be there for you. You need to get your education first, then worry about the next step.”
“I know sir, I know,” Tommy said as he kicked a stone from the sidewalk.
They walked for another twenty minutes almost in silence.
David Walker reached over and put his arm around Tommy's shoulder. He pulled the boy closer to him as they walked. Tommy contemplated what this man had said while he walked.
He was also thinking that his father never put his arm around him.
Tommy was quiet the rest of the weekend and Bruce never asked him about the conversation with his father.
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT – DECISION
April 1966
Two days after the weekend in Morgantown, Tommy returned from the library and found a letter from Dawn. He ripped open the envelope and stood by the mailbox reading.
April 20 , 1966
Tommy,
I thought a lot about this since I got your letter. I talked to Gary and my parents.
I love you and I want you to come home and be with me more than anything else in this whole wide world.
BUT, you know as well as I, that you are where you need to be.
Remember what you told me when I was in the hospital, and you rode all night just to be with me? You said that life was like a long string, and me being sick was just a very itty-bitty part of that string.
Well, the same back at you! Being at Briarwood is just an itty-bitty part of that string. We have a whole life ahead of us, so let's not do something we will be sorry for later.
I CAN and WILL wait for you.
You know that you and your dad do not get along. For whatever reason, you fight like cats and dogs. In his eyes you never do anything right. He should be proud as hell at your grades and how well you are doing. I know I am. But he doesn't seem to care. He just doesn't want you rooming with Bruce.
Remember what he said about your best friend? The words he used. Need I say more?
If you want to come home, I will be thrilled beyond words and will support your decision.
But should you decide to stay, I will also be thrilled.
It is your decision, my love.
We can talk more about it when you come home on break. I can't wait to see you.
All my love
Dawn
P.S. Gary and my parents agree with me. It is your decision. We know you will make the right one. We are ALL behind you!!
Tommy put down the letter. He smiled.
There was another letter in the box from Muncie. This one came from Gary. Tommy laughed out loud. Gary never wrote to anyone in his life.
Tommy,
Surely you are not stupid enough to come back here to that house up the street ???? I didn't think so.
As much as I would love to see you next to me in a Central basketball uniform, you know damn well you need to stay where you are.
There I said it...Short and sweet. Stay put.
I am sure Dawn will write you all gushy gushy, with all kinds of reasons why you should stay, but will say it's OK if you come home.
But I am always more direct. It's NOT OK. So, I have said my peace. STAY WHERE YOU ARE !!
But I will add this. That sister of mine is hopelessly, madly and totally in love with you.
Seriously man, you could be on the moon for the next three years, and she would still be here when you got back. Don't ask me why, but I know my sister.
Trust me! Get your education, play some ball, have some fun, and come visit us when you can. Then when you are done, you and Dawn can start on your life together.
She will be here for you. So will I.
You're stuck with both of us.
Your friend,
Gary
Tommy looked at the letter and thought back to that first day at Storer Junior High. How his life had changed over the past year. He never thought he and Gary would be friends, and having a colored friend? That was unthinkable then. Now Gary and Bruce were his closest friends after Dawn. He thought back to his conversation with Dawn's mother and recalled what she said about living in the house up the street for the next three years. Then he thought of his roommate's father, and the talk he had with David the previous weekend. Thomas Curtis Andrews smiled.
The decision was easy after all.
He could not get back up to his room fast enough. As he ran into his room he found Bruce at his desk.
“Well, my brother, I just made my decision.” Tommy said.
Bruce turned from his studies with a quizzical look. “And?” he asked his best friend as he laid own his pencil.
“It looks like you're stuck with me for the duration.”
“Alright!” Bruce exclaimed happily. He jumped up and grabbed Tommy in a bear hug.
“Come on guy, let go,” Tommy laughed.
“That's great news Tommy, and the right decision.” Bruce said with a huge smile. Bruce had really been worried about this decision.
“Yeah, I know it is. Besides, I haven't completed your musical education yet,” he laughed. “I still need to introduce you to my friends Ricky Nelson and Dion and the Belmonts.”
Bruce smiled and pretended to slap his friend on the cheek.
Tommy continued, “I am going to run over and see if I can catch Mr. Ethridge before he leaves for the day.”
Tommy ran out of the room and down the stairs. He did not want to waste any time waiting on the elevator.
After a short walk, he arrived at Mr. Ethridge's office.
He asked Mrs. Derosa if he could see the Headmaster for just a second.
“Go on in Tommy,” she said with a smile. “He always has time for you.”
As Tommy entered the room, he saw Mr. Ethridge behind his desk. He looked up at his favorite student.
“Sir,” Tommy said. “If it's alright with you, I'd like to sign up for the summer term.”
Mr. Ethridge put down his papers and smiled. “Excellent Tommy, that's just excellent.”
He motioned for Tommy to sit down.
As Tommy sat, Mr. Ethridge asked, “And the fall term?”
“Sir, this is where I belong. I may have been sent to Briarwood against my will, but I have found a home here and friends. I don't want to give that up. I am happier here than anywhere.”
“Good, that's good, son.”
“And besides.” Tommy smiled. “Someone has to hang around here and keep Bruce out of trouble.” he laughed.
“Tommy,” Mr. Ethridge said. “I knew you would make the right decision,” he smiled.
“Will your father be upset about this?”
“I don't think so sir. He doesn't care if I ever come home. He was just blowing off steam when he found out about Bruce. But my mother will be crushed. But she sided with dad on the
roommate issue. I could not forget that. I just hope they can afford to keep sending me here. I know it isn't cheap.”
Mr. Ethridge smiled. “I do not want you to ever worry about that, OK?” Raymond paused.
“Put that out of your mind right now. It's all taken care of.” he said with a more serious tone.
Tommy nodded his agreement.
“I have to ask,” Mr. Ethridge continued. “You gave this plenty of thought?”
“Yes sir, I did.” Tommy smiled. “I talked to most of my teachers, Bruce, Mother Miller, Mrs. Reitz, and some of my other friends. Thanks to Mother Miller, Mrs. Thurston and I had a long talk on the phone. Mr. Kremer and his wife had a long-distance relationship when they were my age. They were both helpful. I had a chat last weekend with Bruce's father. When you picked me up at the bus station that first night, I remember you told me I would get the best possible education here at Briarwood. That's what I want, nothing less. I don't think I can get that in Indiana.”
Tommy paused for a moment thinking about Dawn.
“But I have to admit that it was still a tough decision, sir. Everyone I talked to urged me to stay here. It was Dawn and her family who helped me through it. As much as she wanted me to come home and be with her, Dawn and her brother agreed that this is a better place for me.”
“You know Tommy, she is one special girl.”
“Yes sir, I know that, sir.” Tommy replied with a huge smile.
“All I have to do now is tell my folks.” Tommy sighed.
As Tommy left his office, Mr. Ethridge smiled. He knew he would sleep much better this night.
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE – I AM STAYING
April 21, 1966
Dear Mom and Dad,
I have been considering the option given to me to come home and go to Central in the fall.
After talking to my friends, teachers, Gary, and Dawn, I have decided I want to complete my High School education here at Briarwood.
I miss Dawn and want to be near her. But we all agreed that I am better off in West Virginia.
I will be home for a short break in a few weeks. Then I want to return for summer school.
I want you to know that my friendship with Bruce was only a small part of my decision, as was your racist attitude towards him and his family. As much as I would like to use that as an excuse, the fact is I am happier here than I have ever been in my entire life.
I hope you understand and will support my decision.
I know you can make me come home, I am hoping that you won't.
Tommy
John was livid when they got the letter. It would be a short argument.
“Damn it, I don't believe Ethridge,” John yelled. “He promised he would not interfere.”
“John,” Margaret tried to calm him down. “Maybe he didn't interfere. Maybe our son likes it at Briarwood and wants to stay.” she said.
“I don't give a good goddamn what he wants.” John said angrily. “That kid is coming home.”
Margaret stood up and stared at her husband.
“No John, he is not.” Margaret said sternly. “He doesn't want to live here. Do I need to remind you that he is paying for his own education?”
John was shocked. “I thought you missed your baby.” he said sarcastically.
“Yes John, I do miss our son, more than anything in this world.” she started to cry. “Don't you understand,” she continued through the tears. “We lost Tommy the day we moved here.”
“Right Margaret, blame this whole thing on me!” he yelled.
“I am not blaming you, damn it. I am blaming the move,” She barked back at him. “But look at him now. He's happy and making straight A's in school. Would you have thought a year ago, that he would be doing this well? Get straight A's? Have a ton of friends? No.” She looked at her husband. “A year ago, he was getting all D's and was kicked out of school. Now look at him.”
She glared at her husband for the first time in her life.
“If you don't go along with me on this, I will tell Tommy about the trust fund myself. Once he finds out, you can bet your bottom dollar that fancy colored lawyer will get involved. Have you ever heard the term 'emancipated minor'? We will lose that boy forever. Is that what you want?’
John knew not to argue with his wife.
“I was sure he was so in love with that girl down the street, that he would rush to get home.
Well fine, let the little nigger loving bastard stay where he is. I give up.” He said angrily, as he walked out of the room.
Margaret sat back down and cried for an hour. Deep in her heart she knew this was the right thing. She ached to see her son.
CHAPTER SEVENTY – SCHOLARSHIP
The school year was winding down. Tommy turned in all his term papers and studied hard for his final exams. He was worried that he had not heard from his parents about returning for summer school. Late one Friday, he got a message to go and see Mr. Ethridge on Saturday morning.
No longer worried about these early morning meetings, he actually looked forward to them.
He knew how busy Mr. Ethridge was and he cherished the few moments he got with his mentor.
“Tommy, come on in son.” Mr. Ethridge said motioning to the chair by his desk.
“I have some good news for you, young man.”
“Sir, did you hear from my Mom and Dad?” Tommy asked quickly.
Mr. Ethridge smiled broadly. “First things first, son.” He was having trouble controlling his smile.
“I am pleased to tell you that once again, you have scored A's in all your classes for the term.”
“Wow, that's great sir. It was a fun year.” Tommy smiled back.
“And,” Mr. Ethridge continued. “I spoke to your mother yesterday, and both your parents have agreed that you can return to Briarwood for high school.”
“Oh,” Tommy exclaimed. “That's the best news ever.”
“No son,” Mr. Ethridge said has he handed Tommy a piece of paper. “This is the best news ever.” he was still smiling.
It was a letter on official Briarwood stationary addressed to Mr. & Mrs. John Andrews.
May 1, 1966
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Andrews,
Each year, the Board of Directors at Briarwood chooses one student to receive a full academic scholarship to our Academy.
I am pleased to inform you that after careful consideration, this year's scholarship has been awarded to your son, Thomas Curtis Andrews.
This scholarship will take effect with the summer term 1966 and will be renewed each year as long as Thomas maintains a 3.6 to a 4.0 grade point average.
The entire staff at Briarwood is proud of your sons' accomplishments over the past twelve months.
His perfect grade point average places him at the top of his class. An honor that both of you should also be proud.
Details of this scholarship will be forwarded to you under separate cover.
With warmest regards,
Raymond Ethridge
Headmaster
Briarwood Academy
Charleston, WV
Tommy finished the letter and looked up at his mentor.
He seemed to be stunned, as this was a complete and total surprise to him.
“Mr. Ethridge sir,” Tommy choked back a tear. “I, I, I don't know what to say.”
“Tommy,” Mr. Ethridge continued. “In all my years of teaching and running this school, I don't think I have ever been prouder of a student, than I am of you right now.” He smiled at Tommy. “You deserve this, and you have earned it through all your hard work this year. But you realize the hard work is just beginning.”
Tommy smiled back. “Sir, I will never let you down. I owe you so much. I was completely lost when I arrived here. All I had in my life was Dawn. As much as we miss each other, I have a whole new life here that I dearly love. I have a roommate that is more than a brother to me, a whole new family in Morgantown, and more friends here than I can count.” Tommy paused.
“And I have you to thank for it.”
No Tommy,” Mr. Ethridge said wagging his finger back and forth. “You have done this. You get all the credit. I have never had a student work as hard or be so deserving.”
As Mr. Ethridge led Tommy to the door, Tommy held out his hand to his mentor.
“Thank you sir, for all that you have done,” he said.
“Sorry Thomas, a handshake is not enough.” And with that, he hugged Tommy and patted him on the back in appreciation.
After Tommy left, Mr. Ethridge added a small handwritten note to John that he included with the letter. It simply said, “I told you so.”
But he had no idea of the firestorm that this scholarship would cause.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
END OF NINTH GRADE - MAY 1966
Tommy was on cloud nine when he returned to 'The Holley'. He could not wait to tell Bruce the good news.
Bruce looked up and smiled as Tommy entered the room.
“Hey Tommy,” Bruce said.
“You are not gonna believe what just happened to me.” Tommy exclaimed as he jumped onto his bed.
Bruce looked at his friend. “Well you look like you just won the big prize at the fair, so what gives?” Bruce laughed.
“Big prize Bruce, a huge one,” Tommy was grinning from ear to ear. He was bouncing up and down on the bed. That was something he had not done since he was seven years old.
Bruce stared at his best friend.
“So do I have to guess, or are you going to tell me?” he asked.
Tommy continued to bounce up and down. “I think you should guess.” then he laughed.
In one giant step Bruce was out of his chair and on top of Tommy. He knew how ticklish his roommate was and he wasn't going to waste any time playing guessing games.
Tommy couldn't fight his room mate off. The tickle fight didn't last long.
“Stop, stop, stop,” Tommy howled. “I give, I give.” Bruce was on top of Tommy staring down at his best friend.
“OK dude, spill the beans,” Bruce laughed as he got up.
Tommy could not control his smile. “I just met with Mr. Ethridge. Mom and Dad told him that I can stay here for High School.”
“That's great news Tommy,” Bruce said with a smile.
“That's not the big news,” Tommy put his hand on Bruce's shoulder. “They gave me a full scholarship to Briarwood. All expenses paid.”
Bruce could not believe the news. This was huge. He pulled Tommy off of the bed and gave him a huge hug.
“Fantastic Tommy, just fantastic.” Bruce slapped his friend on the back. “So, what's the deal?”
Tommy told Bruce about the conversation with his mentor.
Bruce could not control his smile.
“Dad is going to be so proud of you Tommy. I can't wait to tell him.”
“Yeah, and I can't wait to tell Dawn,” Tommy replied.
“You gonna wait until you get home?” Bruce asked with a smile. “I think you should. This news is best given in person.”
“I would like to, but Mr. Ethridge sent a letter to Mom and Dad. I am sure Mom will blab to Dawns folks and I want her to hear it from me.”
Bruce smiled and pointed Tommy over to his desk. “Get to writing that letter,” he laughed.
May 1, 1966
My Dearest Dawn,
You are not going to believe this!!!
I just got called into Mr. Ethridge's office. He does that once in a while. It's not at all like being called to Dr. Howard's office at Storer. It's actually fun, and I look forward to his summons.
Anyway, first he tells me I am getting all A's again, then he tells me that Mom and Dad decided that I can come back here for High School.
Then he drops the BOMB...... They have given me a FULL Scholarship to Briarwood !!!
ALL expenses PAID !!!!
All I have to do is keep my grades up and the scholarship renews EVERY year until I graduate.
I cannot believe it!! He sent a letter to Mom and Dad outlining the whole deal. Then he tells me how proud he is of me and gives me a HUG!!! That's more than I ever get at home.
I am so glad we made the decision to come back. I was worried that Dad couldn't afford to keep sending me here. I mentioned that to Mr. Ethridge a few weeks ago, and he told me not to “ever” worry about that again. Now I know why. I am sure he was waiting to see if I was coming back.
Sweetheart, I miss you so much. But I love it here and am happier than I have ever been before.
The only thing I miss is you !!!!
Bruce wanted me to wait until I came home and surprise you with the news in person. But I was worried that Mom might blab to your mom. I wanted you to hear it from me first.
I am so excited !!!
I will be home soon!!!! I can't wait to see you and your family.
All my love
T.C.
Xxoooooo !!!!!!
It did not take long for the word to spread throughout 'The Holley'. Everyone was thrilled for Tommy, and they turned to Bruce to set up a celebration.
The following Friday night Tommy's friends took him to 'Vesuvios' for a celebratory dinner. It was a dinner for twenty-five of Tommy's closest friends. They even invited a few of their friends from Charleston Catholic.
It was all paid for by David and Mary Ann Walker.
Tommy loved this school, his friends and this city. He had found a real home in Charleston.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO – HOME AGAIN
Like Tommy, David Vallalonga spent every afternoon at the gym, usually shooting baskets with anyone that was available. He and Tommy had a couple of classes together but had bonded while on the court. David was urging Tommy to try out for the basketball team, but Tommy kept insisting he hadn't the time.
David was a fellow Hoosier who lived in Lafayette about ninety miles northwest of Muncie. David was pure Italian, tall and lanky with long jet-black hair. He had started at Briarwood at mid-year and was still trying to catch up on his studies. At the request of Mr. Hartwig, Tommy had spent some time with David tutoring him in math. It worked out well, since David also lived on the seventh floor. After a few months David was caught up and doing well. They became good friends, and soon 'The Briarwood Seven' became 'The Briarwood Eight.'
One afternoon Tommy was leaving the gym and ran into David.
“Tommy, wanna shoot some hoops.” he asked his friend.
“Can't right now,” Tommy smiled. I have to run over to the Greyhound station and get my ticket home for break.”
"I have an idea,” David said as he smacked his forehead.
"Why don't you ride with me back to Indiana?”
“Really?” Tommy asked.
"My aunt and uncle from Baltimore are headed to Lafayette for a visit. They are picking me up. I am sure they won't mind one more, and Muncie is not out of the way. I can call them.
tonight.”
They worked out the details and Tommy said he would be thrilled to go. This way he could leave right after his last class and not have to wait until the next morning to take the bus. It gave him one more day at home. One more day with Dawn.
He decided to surprise her.
David's aunt and uncle arrived about an hour early but they didn't seem to mind the wait.
They walked around downtown Charleston and fell in love with the city. Tommy liked them immediately and soon they were on the way.
It was a beautiful late May afternoon and Tommy was excited about going home for a couple of weeks. He missed Dawn.
David had to bring up the subject of basketball.
“Tommy we could use you next year,” David said.
Tommy gave him the same answer he had given him a hundred times. “I don't have the time nor the desire.”
“Come on man, you should be a starting guard,” he said. “If you are worried about missing time at home, they never schedule games during our breaks. You get to get out of town occasionally for road games. But most of all, it's fun.”
“Dave, we have been over this and over this. The fact is I don't think I would have fun," Tommy said.
“Are you back to that Muncie Central thing again? Are you afraid of winning?”
“Yes, exactly. I saw what it did to them,” Tommy replied. “I want to enjoy the game, not worry about winning all the time.”
“I understand,” David sighed. “If I was back at Lafayette Jefferson, I wouldn't play either.”
“That's what I mean, it's not worth the stress.”
“Tell you what, when we get back let's go talk to Coach Johnson. If he can convince you that it is different at Briarwood, will you play?” David asked.
“If I say yes, will you shut up about?” Tommy said with a sigh.
“Yes, Tommy. I'll shut up about it,” he smiled. “Then I can start planning on having you on the team.”
Soon they were approaching the 'Silver' Bridge at Point Pleasant.
“Damn, this bridge always gives me the creeps,” David said.
“This is a cool bridge David,” Tommy looked out over the Ohio River. “It was made using eye bars, instead to the usual way of building a suspension bridge. They have long bars with an eye at each end. Several eye bars are joined with huge pins.”
“How come you know so much about bridges?” David's Aunt Kay said from the front seat.
“Mr. Kremers history class ma'am,” Tommy replied. “He insists that we learn as much as possible about West Virginia history.”
“So, smarty pants,” David asked. “What happens if one of those pins fall out?”
Tommy looked out over the river again. He thought about the long drop to the water.
“A big splash,” was his reply.
Tommy arrived home late that evening. Margaret and John were surprised to see him since they expected him the following evening. Tommy ate a late dinner and went straight to bed.
He would see Dawn in the morning.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE – SEEING DENISE
LATE MAY 1966
Tommy had been home for a few days when he and Dawn decided to go downtown to see a movie. They invited Gary to tag along.
They had some time to kill before the movie, so they walked over to Ball Stores for a cherry coke. The huge department store had a large cafeteria in the basement.
They were deep in teenage conversation when Tommy heard a familiar voice behind him.
“Tommy?”
Tommy turned around and saw Denise Hahn walking quickly towards him. The first thing he noticed that she was no longer limping. It looked like she had grown a couple of inches, and she had turned into a lovely young woman. Her long auburn hair had been cut to shoulder length just like Dawn's. She was with a man that Tommy recognized as her father.
“Wow,” he heard Gary say softly.
“Hello Denise, how in the world are you?” Tommy said as he stood up.
Denise walked up and gave him a big hug. “I am so glad to see you.” She started to cry.
“Me too.” Tommy replied. He looked over at Dawn and Gary. “Denise Hahn, you may remember my girlfriend Dawn Thurston from Storer, and this is her brother Gary.”
“Yes, I do. Hi Dawn, Hi Gary,” she said with a huge smile. “And this is my dad,” she said looking up at Ted.
Ted spoke as he shook Tommy's hand. “Tommy, would you mind if we sat down for a moment? There is something I need to say to you.”
“Of course Mr. Hahn, please sit with us.” Tommy replied.
Denise and her father sat down. It was a bit crowded, but they made it work.
“Tommy, I just wanted to thank you for what you did for Denise back at school. I am terribly sorry it got you in such trouble.” he said as he looked at Denise.
“What did he do?” Dawn asked, looking over at Tommy then at Mr. Hahn.
“Tommy, you never told her?” Ted asked.
“No sir, I didn't tell anyone around here.” Tommy replied, “I didn't want to embarrass Denise. I felt that it wasn't my place to tell anyone about it.” Tommy looked at Dawn. Both she and Gary looked back with question marks on their faces.
“Daddy let me explain,” Denise said looking over at her father. “I need to do this,” she said taking in a deep breath.
For the next twenty minutes Denise told the whole story. She talked about losing her mother, helping Tommy with the school play to that terrible day in the hall. She described the ordeal in great detail. Tommy realized that she was no longer stuttering.
Part way through the story, Dawn reached under the table. She took Tommy's hand in hers and gave it a hard squeeze. She looked into his eyes. He now understood the look of love.
Gary sat there in a trance. Now it all made sense. There was more to the story than everyone knew, except for Tommy and Denise. He thought back to that December conversation with Tommy. He was protecting someone after all. Tommy said that maybe someday Gary would hear he story. Tommy thought he saw a small tear in Gary's right eye. He was completely engrossed in Denise and her story.
“So, Daddy got me the operation, moved me to Burris and I have been happy ever since,” she smiled at Tommy.
“And I owe it all to you Tommy. You were my only friend at that school, and you stuck up for me. Thank you.” she now had tears in her eyes. Tommy saw tears in Dawn's eyes as well.
Gary sat there staring at Denise.
Ted looked at Tommy. “I told your father that I was filing a complaint with the school, but Dr. Howard said it was handled internally. Since you and Denise were not going to Storer anymore, he said it was a closed issue.”
Tommy only heard the first part of the sentence.
“You talked to my dad?” he asked. “When?”
Ted showed a look of surprise but replied. “Well, it was last September, just before Denise had her surgery. He didn't tell you?”
“No sir, not a word.” Tommy was not surprised at this revelation.
“The day after Denise told me what happened, we both went to your house and talked to your parents. That's how we found out they sent you away. They would not tell us where you were.
Dee wanted to write and thank you.” Ted said with amazement.
“I am not at all surprised,” Tommy said. “I am only here for another week, then it's back to West Virginia for summer school.”
Dawn had pulled out a small piece of paper from her purse. She wrote down Tommy's address and her phone number.
“Denise, here is Tommy's address and my phone number.” She handed the slip of paper to Denise. “Write to Tommy anytime you want. And please call me. I would like to be your friend.” Dawn said with a smile.
Gary finally came out of his trance. “So, Denise, why didn't you try to find Dawn? She knew where Tommy was.” he said with a smile.
“Well, the rumor at school was that they broke up and that's why Tommy was so angry that day.” she said to Gary. “I was afraid to ask her about it, so I never tried. It was so weird that last week of school. I was in a trance the entire time. I did call Howard Weatherspoon over the summer, but he had no idea where Tommy was. Howard did tell me that he asked Mr. and Mrs. Andrews for Tommy's address and they also told him no. It was like they wanted him to fall off the face of the earth.”
Dawn smiled at Denise, reached across the table and took Denise's hands in hers. “That's OK Denise, I was a wreck too the last week of school. I walked around in a daze for the whole week. I wouldn't speak to anyone and ignored them when they asked about Tommy. I'm glad you didn't ask me. I hate to think that I would have been rude to you.”
“The thing that upsets me is I know Dr. Howard and most of the teachers at Storer knew what those bullies were doing to Tommy and ignored it. He was protecting himself because he was being bullied,” Denise looked at Tommy.
“You became the scapegoat, and I wish now I would have come forward. I am so so sorry about that,” she started to cry.
“Denise, it's OK,” Tommy smiled. “I am fine. I am happy and I am getting a great education.”
“I would sure love to give that Dr. Howard a piece of my mind,” Dawn said. “What he did to Denise and Tommy was a crime.”
“Sweetheart, everything happens for a reason,” Tommy smiled. “I got over it, pretty quickly. He actually did me a huge favor.”
“Well, I sure won't get over it.” Dawn scorned. “I will never forgive him. Someday, somehow, I am going to let him have it.”
She looked at Tommy. “Period.”
Gary laughed. “Let that be a lesson to one and all. Don't mess with Dawn Thurston!”
Denise could not control her laughter, she hadn't laughed much in the last couple years.
“So, Tommy,” Ted asked. “You won't be coming back for High School?”
“No sir, I did have the option of coming back.” Tommy said looking fondly at Dawn.
“Dawn, Gary and I talked it over, and we decided that Briarwood is the best place for me.
Other than these two clowns, and now Denise,” he paused smiling at her. “I have nothing here.” he thought for a second. “And it looks like I made the right decision.”
Denise spoke up, “I understand,” she said with a smile. “I met your father and brother.”
“Now Dee,” Ted scolded. “That's not nice.”
“Maybe,” Gary laughed, “but true.”
Dawn looked at Mr. Hahn. “And my boyfriend here has just been awarded a full academic scholarship by the school.” she said with a huge smile.
“Tommy, that's wonderful.” Denise exclaimed.
“Yes Tommy, congratulations. You should be very proud of yourself,” Ted said with a smile.
“It's no big deal.” Tommy said looking down at the table.
“Tommy is way too shy to talk about his accomplishments,” Gary said to Denise. “But I'm not.”
They talked for a while longer. Gary realized it was about time for the movie. Tommy and Dawn were not surprised when Gary asked Denise to join them. Ted said it would be alright with him.
So, the four friends walked down to the Strand Theater to see 'Stagecoach'. Denise hated westerns, but it didn't matter. She liked this new boy that had come into her life. And if he was a friend of Tommy Andrews, that was good enough for her. It would be her first date and it definitely would not be her last.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR
IT WAS THE TRUTH
After the movie, Gary dropped Tommy and Dawn at their house and took Denise home.
He would return two hours later. Tommy walked home for dinner. His mother wanted him to spend at least a little time with his own family.
It was during desert that he spoke up.
“So, dad, I hear that you and mom had a visit last fall from Mr. Hahn and his daughter.” Tommy said.
Margaret dropped her fork.
“Where the hell did you hear that?” John barked.
Margaret knew something was coming.
“We ran into Mr. Hahn and Denise downtown today before the movie, and he told me all about that little visit.” Tommy smiled. “Funny that you never mentioned it, dad.”
“I didn't believe a damn word of what they said.” John replied. “Not worth mentioning. End of discussion,” he said glaring at Tommy.
Tommy knew better than to continue. He had made his point. He just shook his head and went back to his desert.
After a second, he looked up at his mother. She smiled at him, and they had an unspoken conversation. They had many of those silent talks over the years. It was like Tommy could sense what she was thinking and was too afraid to say out loud. He smiled back at her.
After dinner, Tommy walked down to Dawn's house. They had just finished dinner, but Mildred saved Tommy some desert.
It was Walter who brought up the subject.
“Tommy it seems that Mildred and I owe you an apology.” he said softly.
“Whatever for?” Tommy asked. “You both have been wonderful to me. You have nothing to apologize for.”
“No, we totally misjudged you.” he said. “And now that we know the whole story of what happened at that school, we just want you to know that we are sorry for that. We are both so
proud of you for what you have done this year.”
Tommy looked over at Mildred. She was smiling at him. He knew that Dawn and Gary had told them about running into Denise and her father. He also knew that she was thinking back to their long talk at Christmas. She never told a soul about that conversation and now she knew the rest of the story.
Walter continued. “Gary and Dawn filled us in on your visitors this afternoon,” he said glaring at his son. “And Gary here told us a lot more. Most of which he should have told us a long long time ago.”
Tommy felt sorry for Gary, he knew that he had to incriminate himself in order to fill in the blanks of the story.
“It's OK,” Tommy said. Now it was time for damage control, for Gary's sake. “It all worked out just fine. Gary and I are best friends now, the past doesn't matter,” he paused. “In fact, when I got to Briarwood, Mr. Ethridge told me to put it all behind me. It was over. We all started fresh. They told me that sometimes we get dealt a bad hand, and that I should get over it and move on. So I did.”
Dawn held his hand.
“As far as I am concerned,” Tommy continued. “We all started over last Christmas, when I came home the first time.”
Tommy looked over at Mildred, winked at her and said. “Period.”
Mildred laughed. She realized how much she had grown to love this boy. She thought of him as one of her own. No wonder Dawn was on cloud nine when he was around.
“Tommy?” Gary asked. “Do you have any idea what a big deal this scholarship is?”
Tommy just shrugged his shoulders. He hated talking about himself or his accomplishments.
“Well, it is.” Gary continued. “I could not be happier than if it happened to me. Your family in that house up the street may not give a hoot in you know where, but your family down here
does.”
Dawn leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. “That goes double for me.”
For the first time in a long time, Tommy was embarrassed.
Later that evening as he was in bed reading, Margaret came to his room.
She smiled at him and said. “It was true, wasn't it?”
Tommy looked up from his book and replied with a smile.
“Every word of it mother, every last word.”
Margaret smiled. “And how is Denise doing?” she asked her son.
“She is doing great. She had her operation and is doing well at Burris, and her stutter is completely gone.” he answered.
“That's wonderful Tommy, she seemed like such a nice girl.”
“She is mom, and Gary noticed it too.” he said with a smile.
“Tommy,” his mother said. “Why didn't you say something at the time? Why didn't you tell someone?” she started to cry.
Tommy looked at his mother. “It's quite simple mother. Because I knew deep down inside that no one would believe the story. Remember when I got into the fight on the school bus?”
Margaret nodded.
“That kid tried to strangle me. I had to defend myself, and when I told Dr. Howard, he didn't believe me. I tried to tell you, but you and Dad wouldn't listen. You never listened to me. Dad never gave me a chance to explain anything. I knew that you and dad wouldn't believe me on this either. That's why I didn't say anything.”
He looked away from his mother.
“Mom, that school was pure hell for me. And I couldn't tell you. You never asked me what was going on. Not even when Torbin and two of his buddies jumped me and beat me up.”
Tommy looked down at the floor. “I knew this would be the same,” he paused. “And I did not want what happened to Dee getting around school,” Tommy paused. “And I couldn't bear the thought of you and dad not believing me.”
Margaret knew he was right. They wouldn't have believed the story. That guilt she would carry for the rest of her life.
“I hope you realize how incredibly proud I am of you.” Margaret said.
“I know you are mom; I know.” Tommy replied with a smile. “Thank you for saying it.”
He had waited so long to hear those words.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-FIVE
I WAS RIGHT ALL ALONG
As Dawn drifted off to sleep that night, she thought about the events of the day.
She always said there was more to Tommy's expulsion from Storer than anyone knew. The one person who believed her was Gary. The only one that supported her was her brother.
A couple of times over the past year, Dawn had asked Tommy about what happened in the hallway that day. He always refused to talk about it. Dawn knew there was more to the story, but Tommy would not tell her. She finally gave up asking.
She was amazed that it took this long for the true story to surface. Tommy never said anything in order to protect a young girl that he hardly knew.
She wondered what would have happened if Denise had come forward, or any of the other kids in the hall that day. She knew deep in her heart that she could not blame Denise. What happened to her was too devastating.
But Dawn also knew that had Tommy not gone away, he would still be miserable and getting bad grades. Going to Charleston was the right thing for him. It was the right thing for both of them. It was for their future together. She thought about the string. She knew what Tommy figured out a long time ago. Next to her, Briarwood Academy was the best thing ever to happen to Thomas Curtis Andrews.
Dawn also knew that she and Denise were about to become best of friends.
She smiled as her eyes closed.
As she drifted off to sleep, she recalled coming home from school a few days after the incident and finding a note from Mildred telling her that she was out shopping and would be home about four thirty.
She knew this might be her one chance to go the the Andrews home and see Tommy.
As she walked up the street she did not see Tommy in the window. Margaret smiled at her as she opened the door.
“Hello Dawn,” she said. “Please come in.”
She guided the young girl into the kitchen and motioned for her to sit down.
“I assume you're here to see Tommy?” she asked.
“Please, Mrs. Andrews. I am so worried about him. I need to see that he is OK.” Dawn started to cry.
“Dawn, honey please don't cry. It'll be all right.”
“Mrs. Andrews, I know he didn't mean it. Something else happened that day.”
“And what was it Dawn?” Margaret said politely. “I sure would like to know.”
“I don't know. There are all kinds of stories going around school,” she cried. “I don't know what actually happened. I don't know what story to believe.”
Margaret looked at her. Then she sighed.
“Dawn, Tommy's father and I are trying to decide what to do about this whole mess. We know that this cannot go on any longer. We are at the end of our rope with Tommy. We love our son, but we have to do something. It may need to be something drastic.”
Dawn nodded. She knew that Tommy needed help and she wanted so desperately to help him.
“We have no choice here, Dawn. Tommy is out of control, and he has become violent. We don't want to see him in reform school or worse,” she paused.
“So, until we decide what to do, I think it's best that you not see him. It might make it easier on you.”
Dawn looked surprised. She did not know what Tommy's mother meant.
“Easier on me?” she asked. “My boyfriend is in serious trouble, and I am not allowed to see him? And I am not allowed to help him? How is that easier on me Mrs. Andrews?”
Margaret did not want to be cruel to this child but she at least needed to be honest with her.
“Because your mother does not want you seeing Tommy anymore. I have to honor her wishes.”
“Mrs. Andrews, if you would just talk to mom. Make her understand how great Tommy is.
She'll believe you.” Dawn was desperate. She felt it all slipping away from her.
“Dawn, I'm sorry. I can't do that. Your mother's mind is made up.” Margaret started to cry as well. She reached over and took Dawns hand in hers. “It's time to move on child. There will be other boys.”
Dawn cried harder. She stood up. “Move on? Why is everyone telling me to move on? I don't want to move on. I don't want another boy.” She started for the door.
“I just want my Tommy,” she cried softly as she opened the front door.
Dawn awoke abruptly. Her pillow was wet from her tears. The dream was so realistic and accurate. For a moment she did not know where she was. Then it all came back to her. That was a long time ago. Tommy was fine. Tommy was happy and they were together.
Dawn smiled as she got out of bed and looked out of her window. The moonlight seemed to shine on Tommy's bedroom window up the street. She stood there for twenty minutes, just looking and thinking.
She fought for Tommy. She fought for the boy she loved. She fought so they could be together. She knew this boy. He wouldn't hurt a fly.
She thought about how well he was doing at Briarwood. She thought of the scholarship he had just been awarded. She was so proud of him. As much as she missed Tommy when he was away at school, she knew that one day they would be together.
It would be forever.
Dawn smiled.
She and Gary had been right all along.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX – SUMMER BREAK CONTINUES
Walter had made arrangements to get pit row tickets to the INDY 500 for Tommy and Gary.
The day before the race he took the boys to Mildred's sister's home in Indianapolis. They could stay there the night before the race, and her brother-in-law could take them over to the track in the morning.
Tommy had a ball. He had never seen so many people in one place in all his life. They could see all the action in the pits and the straightaway.
Tommy was excited about seeing the start of the race. He pointed to the fourth turn as the pace car came around.
“Gary this is going to be great,” he said above the noise.
Just as the pace car pulled into the pits, all hell broke loose. Billy Foster lost control of his car and swerved into another car. The chain reaction was on.
By the time the carnage was over, fourteen cars had been damaged. Eleven of those would not return when the race was restarted ninety minutes later. Fortunately, no one was seriously injured in the accident.
But the race was marred by other accidents and equipment malfunctions. At the end, just seven cars would remain in the race.
Rookie Scottman Graham Hill would cross the finish line ahead of England's Jimmy Clark.
It would become a yearly adventure for Tommy and Gary. One that would extend far into adulthood.
Several days later, George graduated from Muncie Central. A large crowd gathered at the North Walnut Street Field House for the Commencement exercises for the class of 1966.
His parents seemed to be so proud sitting in the stands watching their oldest son graduate. All they talked about that week was George. John went on and on about his first born. He had done so well, got great grades and was going to one of the best Engineering schools in the Midwest.
John never mentioned Tommy grades, nor the scholarship that Briarwood had awarded to his youngest son.
Although not first in his class, George had done well at Central. He was accepted for the fall term at Purdue University some ninety miles away.
Tommy was glad that Dawn agreed to attend the ceremony with him.
Following the graduation, they all returned home to a huge party the Andrew's had planned for George. The house and the back yard were full of George's friends. Tommy did not know anyone, as George never let Tommy hang out with him and his friends. It didn't take Tommy long to slip away and walk down the street. He would not be missed.
Dawn normally did not schedule any activities of her own while Tommy was home on break. However, a close friend of Mildred's was in dire need of a babysitter for a Saturday afternoon and Dawn hated to say no.
“It's cool,” Tommy told her. “You go help your mom's friend. I can give Howard a call.
I haven't seen much of him, and it will be nice to catch up.”
So, Tommy did call his old friend Howard. They had not seen each other since Christmas, and Howard was not much on writing letters.
Tommy's friend had lost a lot of weight over the winter and was in better shape than ever.
Tommy was glad to see him. They decided to run down to WLBC and see his dad. He was wrapping up some work, because they had decided to move to Milwaukee. Tommy was thrilled for his friend, but sad that he was moving away. It brought back a lot of memories of his leaving Pennsylvania several years earlier.
The two friends had fun at the TV station. Howard's father was amazed at how much Tommy had learned about electronics. He had spent a lot of time with Mr. Moorland at WCHS and had learned about all of the equipment. He knew what questions to ask Howard's father. Tommy even got to catch up with his old friend Jerry Needler as well. They spent about forty minutes in the break room over sodas and chips. Tommy always enjoyed Jerry's stories of his Hollywood adventures in the late 1950's. It was a fun afternoon.
Tommy did not realize it would be the last time he would see Howard. Howard and his family moved to Milwaukee several weeks later. They would completely lose track of each other.
As Tommy sat at the dinner table that evening all the talk was about George. He had to endure all the conversation about George's summer job and his new car. John had found a great deal on a 1964 Thunderbird. It belonged to a friend of Johns who decided it was too much car for him and he wanted to get something else. John was happy to pay off the loan and give the car to George.
Tommy could not wait to finish his desert so he could go see Dawn. He could also not wait to get back to school and his new home in Charleston.
His mother brought him back to reality.
“Tommy, did you hear your father?” she asked.
“Sorry dad,” he replied.
“Got your head up your ass again?” John barked.
George laughed.
“I asked you if you were going to Dawn's after dinner,” he said with a scowl.
“Yes sir,” Tommy replied. Then he decided to add,“if that's alright sir.”
“I don't care, your brother and I are going bowling.” John went back to his dinner. Tommy thought he heard George chuckle.
“Dawn and I are just going to read and have popcorn,” Tommy said, knowing that they would ever invite him along on the bowling outing.
Tommy spent the rest of his break reading, playing ball with Gary, and of course seeing Dawn.
Soon, break was over, and it was time to head back to Charleston. Riding with David's aunt and uncle was much more comfortable than riding a bus. Tommy could not wait to have his driver's license and his own car. He decided he wanted one of those half cars, half pickup trucks. Dawn called them “El Truck-ohs.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-SEVEN – YOU CAN'T PLAY WITH COLOREDS
The summer term was in full swing. Tommy took some advanced math classes with Mr. Hartwig, a special science class, and Spanish. His independent study would be advanced electronics to prepare him for the FCC First Class license exam. It was something he needed so he could do more work at the radio station. In order to work on some of the equipment, one needed to be licensed by the FCC. It was much more advanced than his Radio Amateur license.
Tommy spent the July fourth weekend with Bruce and his family in Morgantown. He loved visiting this huge home with its pool and all the books in Mary Ann's library. When he wasn't
sitting in the library, with his nose in a book, you would find him by the pool reading, or playing board games with Susan.
It was a hot Sunday afternoon. Mary Ann, David and Bruce had taken off to play golf, a game that Tommy detested. Tommy thought it was silly to whack away at a little white ball, then chase it down, and whack at it again.
Tommy was spending his afternoon sitting by the pool reading 'The Source' by James Mitchener. He was about to start on a new chapter when Susan stormed by. Tommy thought that she was spending the afternoon at her new friend's house. Walking faster than normal, the young girl didn't say anything as she passed her brother's best friend. It looked like she had been crying.
“Hey squirt, where you off to in such a hurry?” Tommy said with a laugh. “You wanna go for a swim?”
Susan did not respond as she kept on walking. She slammed the side door as she entered the house. Tommy knew something was wrong.
Tommy closed his book, got up and followed Susan into the house.
As he entered the kitchen, he heard another door slam.
When he got upstairs, Tommy could hear the faint cries coming from Susan's bedroom.
He knocked on her door. “Susan, are you alright?” he asked.
“Go away!” she yelled.
Tommy tried the door. She had locked it.
“Sweetie, let me in,” he paused. “Please”
“No,” came the reply.
“Please Susan?” Tommy asked in a low voice. “Maybe I can help.”
Susan did not respond.
“Sweetie, I can stand out here all day if I have to. I have my book, and if I get hungry, I can go downstairs and make a sandwich.”
Susan knew that her brother's friend meant every word of what he said. If he had to, he would stay outside her door all day.
Tommy stood there for about thirty seconds. Then he heard the lock click as Susan unlocked the door.
Tommy waited a few more seconds, then he slowly opened the door. Susan had gone back over to her bed and was sitting with her arms around her knees that were pulled up to her chest.
Her head rested on top of her knees.
“Can I come in?” Tommy asked quietly.
Susan nodded her head.
Tommy walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
“You want to tell me about it? Or do I have to guess?”
Susan looked up at him.
“Debbie invited me over this afternoon. When I got there her dad told me I couldn't stay.” She started to cry.
Susan had met Debbie at the local youth center. She had just moved to Morgantown and did not know anyone. The two kids hit it off and Susan had looked forward to meeting Debbie's parents.
“What happened?” Tommy asked, never dreaming of the answer.
Susan was in full tear mode. “He told me that Debbie wasn't allowed to hang out with coloreds,” she sobbed.
Tommy was shocked. Was this man related to his father?
“Only he didn't use the word coloreds,” she paused. “I hate her.”
Tommy reached over and pulled Susan to him. He put his arm around her shoulder. He wanted to be careful about what he said next.
“Susan. I won't pretend to tell you that I know how you feel, because I don't,” Tommy smiled.
“But I will tell you this. You are a beautiful, intelligent, and caring young lady. This is not your fault. You cannot fix stupid. Bruce and I see this kind of crap all the time.”
Susan was still in tears.
“Susan don't hate. That's a terrible word and it gets you nowhere. Don't lower yourself to this man's level. Debbie can't help the way her father is. Talk to her. You might be surprised.” he smiled. “She might be as upset as you are about all of this.”
“But it hurts, Tommy,” she cried.
“Yes, it does. It's unfair, it's wrong, but it's the way the world is Susan. It's not going to change over night. But trust me, it will change.”
Susan tried to smile.
“You can't let it get you down. I know it's hard and it hurts, but you have to be the better person.”
Tommy took her hand in his. “I am going to tell you a story, but it's just between you and me, OK?
Susan nodded.
Tommy then proceeded to tell her the story of what happened with his father at the hospital.
He left nothing out. David had not told anyone about the incident.
“So, you know what the first thing I said was?”
“No,” Susan replied.
“I apologized to your father and your brother for what my dad said,” Tommy smiled. “And do you know what Bruce said to me?”
Susan shook her head.
“Well, as long as I live, I will never forget it. He put his hand on my shoulder, looked right at me and said. “You don't have to apologize for anything. You are not responsible for him, only yourself. You are my best friend and always will be. You are in no way responsible for his actions. Nothing that man does or says will change our friendship.”
Susan looked up at Tommy. “So Debbie can't help the way that her parents feel?” she asked.
Tommy smiled and nodded his head. “That's right.”
“So, all that matters is what Debbie and I think?” she was starting to understand.
“Yeah squirt, that's all that matters. Just like with me and your brother. The rest of the world can all go to hell.” Tommy laughed.
“Bruce was not going to let my stupid father say or do anything to ruin our friendship.
It's too strong,” he smiled. “And always will be.”
Susan had stopped crying. “I hope someday I can have a friendship like you guys have.”
“Me too, and I'm sure you will. That friend might be white, might be colored, or maybe Asian. Who knows?” Tommy paused. “It might even be Debbie.”
“All I know is, it won't matter,” Susan laughed.
Tommy grinned. She got it. She understood.
Susan reached over and hugged Tommy. “I am so glad your mean nasty old father sent you away. It brought you to us,” she started to cry again. “I love you, Tommy Andrews.”
“I love you too squirt,” Tommy smiled as he reached over and wiped her tear away. Susan smiled back. She grabbed Tommy hand and jumped off the bed.
“Get out of here while I change. I think I want that swim now.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek.
It would be alright. She would be the better person.
Susan and Debbie would remain friends for years and years to come.
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
SUMMER SCHOOL 1966
July 7, 1966
Dear Tommy,
How's summer school going???? I have been taking it easy this summer.
You don't know it, but you came to my rescue again !!!By introducing me to the greatest guy I have ever met!! (along with you of course!!)
Gary is simply wonderful!! We have been seeing a lot of each other. We spend as much time together as we can.
Dad doesn't want me to get too serious. You see, I haven't been around boys much. At Storer you were the only friend I had. But like you and Dawn, I think he is the one. Do you believe in love at first site?? Well, of course you do...silly me.
I can't wait for you to come home on break. The four of us are going to have so much fun !!!
Dawn and I have become best friends too. I wish I would have looked her up last year. We wasted so much time. She keeps me updated on how you are doing too.
We've had sleep overs a few times. I like going to her house best 'cause I get to see Gary, and her mother is sooo nice. I miss my mom, and I know that dad is lonely too.
Briarwood sounds like it is a special place and Dawn tells me how much you love it there. I can't wait to visit and see this other side of your life.
Well, I just wanted to say hi !!! and let you know how things are going. I know you are busy, but PLEASE let me hear from you once in a while.
Dee
July 14, 1966
Dear Dee,
I am so glad you wrote. I like getting letters from home. Dawn writes a lot and so does my mom.
You and Gary. How wonderful. I am also glad that you and Dawn have become close friends. It's nice to know that she has a good friend to keep her mind away from me being gone all the time.
Do me a favor and keep your eye on her for me. Be her friend and protect her. She is so special to me. I miss her so much.
Take care of Gary too. I got to know him over Christmas break, and he is special too.
Did Dawn tell you that he and I didn't get along when I first moved to Muncie??? Yeah, but we both grew up and realized that we had this strong connection to Dawn.
So now all FOUR of us are connected!!! I am so glad.
I am also happy that you and your dad came into Ball Stores that day. If you hadn't done that, maybe we never would have re-connected. Isn't life strange??
It's been a hot summer in Charleston. Mr. Moorland got me an internship over at the radio station, so I have been hanging out there a lot, and working out in the gym. It keeps me busy so I don't get too lonely. It's hard to get lonely when you have hundreds of friends.
You know Dee, this school is so different than anywhere I have ever been. I feel blessed to be a small part of this group. Although I miss Dawn and Gary (and you too !!!) this place has become my home. I am happy here and am getting the best education in the world.
Got to run now. A group of us are going to the library.
Summer term papers are calling.
Kiss Dawn for me!!
TC
August 09, 1966
Dear Tommy,
You are not going to believe this. Gary's in love!!!!!! I have never seen him like this. He and Denise have been inseparable since that day at the movies. They have been going out every weekend. Denise and I have become such good friends.
She feels the same way about Gary. I am soooo glad. The summer is going really well, but I miss you like crazy. I can't wait til you come home. We can double date!!!!
love ya....!!!
Dawn
And double date they did.
August 15, 1966
Dawn,
It's been a crazy summer. All I can say is West Virginia is hot in the summer.
Classes have been harder than normal, and I miss you like crazy. I studied hard this summer.
Dee wrote to me all excited about Gary. How wonderful. I can't wait to come home on break. The four of us are going to have lots of fun. I am so glad that Denise found someone, and he being your brother is icing on the cake!!!
I am ready for a break. All I have done this summer is study, go to the gym, and work at the radio station.
The summer has flown by so fast. It won't be long until I am home with you.
I will see you soon!!!
love you always.
Tommy
CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE – THE DAY FINALLY ARRIVES
As much as Tommy liked going home to see Dawn, he hated the long bus rides. David had to go through Indianapolis to get home, so he had to take a different bus route. Tommy hated to ride by himself. He tried to read, but the words bounced too much and for some reason made his stomach churn. So, he stared out of the window. He had purchased a nice transistor radio at Diamonds, so at least he could listen to the radio on these long trips. The radio included the Shortwave bands, and Tommy enjoyed listening to the Spanish programming from Mexico.
He watched as corn field after corn field went by. Harvest time was a long way off.
Tommy was thrilled to see Gary, Dawn, and Denise waiting for him at the bus terminal.
“I told your mom, we would come pick you up,” Gary said as they shook hands.
“Thanks,” Tommy replied. “I'm glad to see you clowns.” He leaned down and kissed Dawn.
“Mom planned a special dinner for you,” Dawn said excitedly. “I helped.”
Tommy smiled. “I can't wait,” he knew it would be his favorite chicken dish.
“Let's get this show on the road,” Denise said with a smile.
Tommy got his luggage and they loaded it up in the trunk of Gary's 1958 Chevy. The four friends headed to Dawn's house.
They dropped Tommy's things off at the house up the street. Margaret and John were not home. George grunted at Tommy, as he watched his younger brother take his bags to his room.
He gave Gary some heated looks but said nothing.
They had a great time at Dawns. Mildred and Walter were glad to see Tommy but stayed out of the way. They wanted this to be an evening just for the kids. They would get plenty of time to visit with Tommy.
Tommy was dead tired and made it an early night. The four made plans for a movie night the following evening, and Tommy headed home.
By this time Tommy's parents had arrived home after their evening out. Margaret hugged her youngest son. John was still distant. He was still upset that Tommy had chosen to remain in Charleston. He was convinced that Ray Ethridge had something to do with it.
Tommy went straight to his room.
The next two weeks were uneventful. Tommy hung out with Gary, Denise, and of course Dawn. He and Dawn were able to get some much-wanted alone time. They would talk for hours and hours, holding hands and just looking at each other.
George was busy getting ready for college, so he ignored his younger brother.
The day before they were to leave, Tommy walked past George's room. He gazed at all the boxes he had packed.
“Wow,” Tommy laughed. “When I went away, all I took was one duffel bag, a small suitcase and my knapsack.” Tommy was trying to make a joke, but George missed the humor.
“Shut up dork,” he scowled. “I'll take whatever I wanna take. It's none of your damn business.”
Tommy wondered why he even bothered to talk to his brother. He just shook his head and continued into his room.
“At least I won't be living with a nigger.” George said under his breath.
Tommy stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and went into George's room.
“What did you say?” he demanded as he glared at his brother.
“You heard me dork face,” George laughed. “I said I wouldn't be living with a damn nigger. You wanna make something of it?” he laughed again.
He stopped laughing when Tommy's fist connected. The fight was not pretty. Tommy was bigger, faster, and smarter. It was no contest. Tommy had waited years for this day to arrive.
Soon Tommy had George on the floor. Tommy was on top of his brother, hitting him over and over.
It didn't take John long to get from the living room to the back of the house.
“Stop it,” he screamed as he pulled Tommy off his brother.
“I'll kill him if he ever says that again,” Tommy screamed back at his father.
George was stunned. In all his years he never expected the day would come when Tommy would get the better of him. Blood trickled from his mouth.
“What the hell's wrong with you,” John yelled at Tommy. “You attacked your own brother.”
John pushed Tommy up against the closet door, with one hand gripping the front of Tommy's shirt.
“What the hell is wrong with you!” Tommy yelled back at his father. “He deserved it, and if he ever calls Bruce that name again, he'll get it again.”
John cocked his other arm.
"Hit him dad,” George yelled still laying on the floor rubbing his chin.
John hesitated.
“Yeah dad, go ahead. I know you want to,” Tommy said sarcastically.
Tommy got right in his father's face. He pointed to his jaw. “Come on dad, you've done it before. You hate me enough. It'll be easy. Come on! Have some fun. Let me have it. I dare you.”
Margaret had been down stairs in the laundry room and heard the commotion.
“John!” she yelled as she got to the bedroom door.
John lowered his arm and shook his head. He looked at Tommy.
“Get the hell out of my sight,” he yelled shoving Tommy towards the door.
Tommy looked at his mother and shook his head. She was in tears. He then looked at John.
“With pleasure,” he paused. “Sir.”
Tommy started to walk out of the room, then he turned around to face George.
“Consider this a warning. Say that word again, and I will beat the crap out of you again. You have picked on me and called me names all my life. Well, guess what big brother? The day that I have waited for all my life has finally arrived. I am bigger, smarter, faster, and better than you,” he paused. “So don't you ever talk to me that way again. You got that?”
He walked down the hallway and out the front door. George was speechless.
As Tommy walked down to Dawn's house, he had conflicted feelings. He should be happy, he thought. He finally introduced his fist to George's face. He had fantasized for years about getting the best of his big brother. But he did not feel happy. He felt complete and total sadness. Other than Dawn, he was alone.
What a shame it was that his brother and father hated him. He remembered what Mrs. Reitz told him those many months ago. It was not his fault. But deep down inside he knew that he didn't hit George because of what he said. He did it because all the years of verbal abuse from him had finally reached the breaking point. In a way, maybe he was no better than those boys in the alley that night in Charleston. He was not protecting himself in that house up the street.
George did not jump him and try to hit him. All he did was call his best friend a name. Tommy knew he should have let it go. But he also knew that he would never apologize to his brother. He was done with his brother, and he was done with his father. He was also done fighting. Fighting was for people who could not win with their brains. He vowed to never hit again unless he was hit first.
Tommy and Dawn sat on the sofa. Tommy told her the whole story.
“Honey, I just lost it. No excuses. I was out of control.”
“You are not out of control. They are. Mrs. Reitz was right. There is not a damn thing wrong with you,” she looked up at him. “I am amazed that it took you this long to go after that bastard.”
Tommy was amazed. Dawn did not curse often, and only when she was mad. It made him laugh.
When Tommy laughed, Dawn laughed as well. It lightened the mood.
Dawn jumped up. She grabbed Tommy by the hand. “Let's go make some popcorn,” she said with a smile. “It's your last night at home,” she got on her tip toes and kissed him. It was a long kiss. “Let's not waste it.”
They sat back down. The popcorn could wait.
John and Margaret decided to take Tommy down to the bus station, then leave immediately for the trip to West Lafayette. Since George was only a freshman, he was not able to take his Thunderbird to the University. He would have to wait until his Junior year. They loaded the trailer with all of George's things and the family drove down to the Muncie bus station so Tommy could catch the bus to Charleston.
Tommy and his brother just glared at each other, not a word was spoken.
When the time came for Tommy to leave, his mother walked him over to the bus.
“Tommy, aren't you going to say something to your brother?” Margaret actually expected her youngest to apologize to George.
“Sure mom,” Tommy smiled as he looked sarcastically at his mother. “Be glad to.”
Tommy smiled broadly as he walked back over to his brother, leaned into his left ear and whispered sarcastically. “Have a wonderful time in college, you racist bastard.”
Without waiting for a reply, Tommy turned around and walked back over to the bus. He ascended the steps of the Greyhound and disappeared. Tommy wanted to go home. It was time to go home. Home to a place that he dearly loved. He smiled and wondered what the next three years would bring. High School awaited.
THE END
COMING SOON: BRIARWOOD - A LOVE STORY - HIGH SCHOOL
What will the next three years of high school hold for young Tommy? Will his father ever appreciate what his youngest son has accomplished? What lies in store for George? Does he ever grow up and learn what a great kid his younger brother has become? Will the love between Dawn and Tommy continue to grow? Will Tommy cave in to David's request and join the basketball team? How about Gary and Denise? These questions and more may be answered as young Tommy Andrews enters the tenth grade.
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