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Tossed Away Kid - Chapter 5 This is a work of fiction.
Any similarity to anyone in real life is a coincidence. A special thanks to the Late Ed Wooten for his editorial help. ****** I woke up and looked
outside and saw it was still dark. I
heard some noises and went to investigate.
The light was on in the living room and Mark and Mike were doing
stretching exercises. "Good morning,
Tommy," said Mark. "We're
going running. Want to join
us?" "I've never been
running before except in gym class." "Well, you better
get used to it. Next week you'll be
running every morning." Danny wandered into the
living room, "What's going on?" "We're going
running," I replied. Mark
smiled. "Want to run with me,
Danny? I don't think I can keep up
with Mark and Mike." "I did bring some
sweats with me – let me get changed." I followed Danny into
my room and we both changed into sweats and running shoes.
We went back into the living room and Mark and Mike helped us do some
stretching. We went outside and
went to the center of the apartment complex.
There was a pond there with a trail that ran around it.
Mark explained to us that the trail is about a quarter mile and we
shouldn't try to overdo it. We
started jogging and made 4 laps before both Danny and I were wiped out.
Mark and Mike had lapped us once and were about to lap us again when we
quit. Mark and Mike kept
running while Danny and I sat on a bench. We
held hands and watched the sun come up. "I thought I lost
you, Tommy, forever when we moved up here.
My parents really didn't have a choice so I couldn't blame them." "After my dad
threw me out of the house I went to a park like this one.
All I could think of was how can I get back to you, Danny." "I think that your
parents were just looking for a reason to get rid of you, Tommy.
You worked so hard to please them and they couldn't care less." "What really hurts
is I really love them despite everything they have done to me." "That's one of the
reasons I love you so much, Tommy. No
matter what, I know you will always love me.
You love people who show you no love at all. You have so much more love for me because I love you back.
It's like the more we're together the more our love grows for each other.
I know as long as you live you'll love me, Tommy. "Don't sell
yourself short, Danny. You're just
as loving as I am." "But I'm not as
strong as you are, Tommy." "Please, don't
sell yourself short, Danny. I've
been locked in my room the last two weeks too.
The only thing that made me feel better was getting a letter from you and
taking time to answer." "How do you really
feel about going to police boot camp this summer, Tommy?" "Tell you the
truth, I'm excited. I've always
dreamed of being a police officer. I
like to watch the Cops show on FOX and wonder what it would be like to do that
for a living. I think I'd like to
solve crimes too. Who knows, I
might end up finding my future this summer.
I'm sure going to have a headstart on other 14 year-olds. And if I'm chasing a pipe dream and don't have what it takes,
I'll find that out too." "Whatever you do,
Tommy, I want you to know that I'm proud of you." Mark and Mike ran up to
us and told us they had had enough. We
went back to the apartment and Danny and I jumped in the shower.
We washed behind each other's ears and other places.
I guess we got a little carried away because Mike knocked on the door and
told us breakfast was ready. I
have learned that apartments don't run out of hot water like in my house and so
far I'm loving it. "Hello, Hi,
Detective Samuels. Yes, he's here,
hang-on a second. Tommy, he would
like to talk to you." "Hello!" "Hi, Tommy.
How's it going?" "I'm doing great.
Mark and Mike are great." "I'm glad to see
that you're adjusting well, Tommy. The
reason I'm calling, Tommy, is this. As
part of my ongoing investigation I contacted both your brothers.
Your older brother Pete would like to fly into Chicago O'Hare tonight at
7:00 and meet with you. He said
he'd like to come with his wife and 8 year-old son and stay the weekend.
He says you have never met your nephew." "Pete is 15 years
older than me and he moved out when he got married and moved to Detroit when I
was 5. I've not seen him since.
I have gotten birthday and Christmas presents from him.
I hardly remember him. What
do you think I should do, Detective Samuels?" "I think you
should meet with him and his family, Tommy.
He supplied me with lots of information to help me with my case and has
said that he'll back it up by testifying against your father.
I didn't tell him why your parents forced you out.
Don't tell him about our plans to set up your father because he doesn’t
need to know. I think you could
probably trust him with just about anything, based on what we talked about.
However, part of being a good police office is keeping some information
to yourself. So what do you want me
to tell him, Tommy?" "Hang on, let me
ask the guys." I explained
what Detective Samuels told me and my feeling on seeing my long lost older
brother. Everyone agreed I should
meet with him. "I think it's a
great idea, Detective Samuels. Call
him up and tell him we'll see him tonight." "Great, put Mark
back on and I'll give him the flight information." Mark took the phone and
wrote down the information. They
talked for some time so I assume he was getting other instruction.
He said good-bye and hung up. "So what do you
guys want to do today?" said
Mark. "We've got about 10
hours to kill. How about the
beach?" We all agreed that
sounded like a great plan. We went
and changed into swim trunks and took a change of clothes with us.
Mark said that we will go right from the beach to the airport.
Mark packed a lunch and some pops. (Soda,
Cokes, Soft Drinks, etc.) It was looking like
another fine day outside. Danny and
I got in the back of the truck and off we went.
Forty-five minutes later we were spreading our towels on the beach.
The view was fantastic. Lake
Michigan is a dark blue with the Chicago skyline in the background.
It's kind of breathtaking. We
had lots of fun putting sunscreen on each other.
We got a few looks from people as we were really enjoying ourselves.
We were near a
volleyball court in the sand and Mark rented a ball for a few dollars.
We practiced volleys back and forth when 4 other guys about our age
challenged us. We found out they
are brothers. We practiced with
them for a few minutes and then started playing.
We were pretty evenly matched and had lots of fun.
They ended up beating us three games to two but it was close to the end.
They said that they had to go and we thanked them for the competition. We went and ate lunch
and then lay around in the sun for about an hour. It got hot so we went swimming.
The water was really cold but we got used to it.
Mark just went running in and then started swimming.
I can tell he’s a good swimmer. We
played and splashed around for about an hour and then went back on the beach and
lay around for another hour. Mark
pulled a Frisbee out of his bag and we threw it around for about another hour. Then it was back in the lake to cool off. Although I saw lots of
cute boys around, with Danny by my side I didn't give them more than a passing
look. Mark and Mike seemed the same
way. They seem far more interested
in each other than anyone else. There
is nothing greater in the world than playing and having fun with someone you
love. Danny can say more to me with
a smile than with a thousand words. Mark said it was time
to get going and we headed back to the parking lot. We got to Mark's truck and three big black guys appeared out
of nowhere. "You got some
money you can spare?" the biggest one in the middle said. "Nope, sure
don’t so I suggest you go somewhere else," Mark says. "In that case,
we'll take all your money and your truck," he said, pulling out a big
switchblade knife. Somehow I felt really
calm. I guess standing next to Mark
had a calming effect on me. Mark
reached into his bag and pulled out his wallet.
He opened it and showed them his badge.
"You see, I'm one of Chicago's finest and you're under arrest for
assault with a deadly weapon, attempted grand larceny, and attempted robbery.
Please make my day and let me arrest you for resisting arrest too." Everything went into
slow motion. The guy lunged at Mark
with the knife. Mark grabbed his
wrist with the knife in it with his left hand and pounded him in the chin with
his right fist. The guy went down
hard, out cold. At the same time
another guy threw a punch at Mike. Mike
dodged his punch and grabbed his arm with both of his, while throwing his body
into the front of the guy's knees while pulling down on the guy's arm.
He lost his balance and I saw his head bounce off the payment.
Mark then looked at the third guy who seemed to be in shock or something.
"You can either join your friends on the ground with your hand
behind your back the hard way or the easy way!"
The guy got down on his stomach with his hands behind his head.
Mark reached in his bag and pulled out three handcuffs and a pistol.
He handed the pistol to Mike and he handcuffed the three guys.
Then he put the pistol back away and pulled out his cell phone and called
the police for backup. "Why don't you
three go in the back of the cab and change clothes. I have to do some paper work." We went and got changed
and found Mark with a briefcase open on the hood of his car, filling out
paperwork and talking to himself. "I
hate paper work. Attempted robbery,
attempted murder, assault with a deadly weapon, attempted robbery, attempted
grand theft auto, resisting arrest, assault and battery.
Make one mistake on this paperwork and these guys walk." Just then a City of
Chicago police car pulled up and Mark identified himself as a Chicago police
officer and explained to the officers what happened. They took the three suspects into custody and helped him with
his paperwork by taking statements from us.
Finally we were finished and the police told us we could go and told us
all how proud they are of us and how brave we acted. Danny said he almost peed his pants. I could hardly believe the rush I got from the whole
experience. Both Mark and Mike
seemed calm as if this was an everyday event for them.
Based on their story I can see why, but it’s different hearing a story
and seeing it happen before you.
It took us an hour and
a half to get to the airport. It
was stop and go the whole way there. I
was talking non-stop the whole way there, reliving what just happened.
Halfway there Danny and I switched places because my legs were getting
numb with him sitting on my lap. I
guess with all the excitement of the day I almost forgot the reason that I was
going to the airport to begin with. As
we got closer I finally shut up and started to think. What am I going to
say to my brother after all these years? Is
he going to hate me when he finds out I'm gay and in love with Danny?
What will his son be like? What
will his wife be like? What did he
tell Detective Samuels? What did
Detective Samuels say to Mark? Mark
didn't say anything about his conversation to me.
So many questions and so few answers. We parked and get out
of the truck. With the delay from
our afternoon of action and the rush hour traffic we didn't have much time left
to get to the terminal. "Tommy, only tell
your brother that you're with me under protective custody.
He doesn't need to know about your training in police work or our plans
for school. Even if you feel you
can trust him, he has no need to know. Understand?" "Yes, Mark, I
understand and agree with you. Why
take a chance? I won't say anything." "Good, one more
thing. It's better if he doesn't
know that Mike and I are a couple. I
don't care what you tell him about yourself.
I'll leave that up to you. If
he asks you what you plan on doing this summer, tell him you’ll be attending
summer school at Chicago Public Schools along with Mike and myself and keeping
very busy." "In a way that is
the truth. Should I tell him that
I'll be moving in with the Smiths after they are approved as foster
parents?" "You're almost a
policeman already, Tommy. That's
what I was going to tell you next." "Did you discuss
all this with Detective Samuels this morning?" "Yes, I did.
We want to make sure our story is straight." "Don't you mean
consistent? I mean I don't like
that word straight. It kind of
implies that we are lying. Like
your statement about going to summer school is the truth – just not the whole
truth. There is a lot more to
it." "Yes, I do mean
consistent. And I will never tell
you to lie. However, a good
policeman keeps some things to himself." We get to the security
gate and Mark showed his badge and got right through. I guess being a Chicago Police officer has some advantages.
I've never been in a place this big before.
I'm glad I'm with Mike and Mark or else I'd be lost for days.
Finally we reached the gate just as the plane pulled up.
About half the plane's passengers got off before I spotted my brother
Pete. I also recognized his wife
Barbara. Next to them I see a young
looking boy about 4'8" with blond hair and blue eyes.
What stood out on him was his smile.
He had a wide mouth and I could see a huge grin on his face even from 50
feet away.
I walked up to him and
looked him in the eye and smiled. "Pete?" "Oh, my God, Tommy
– is that you? You have grown so
much since the last time I saw you I would have never recognized you.
This is Barbara." I shook her hand and
told her I recognized her. I then
introduced Danny, who he remembered, and Mike and Mark.
All this time hiding behind Barbara was my nephew Scott.
Pete grabbed him by the hand and introduced him to all of us.
At first I thought he was shy but within seconds after being introduced
he was asking all of us three questions at once. "We have all carry
on luggage and are renting a car. We’ll
be staying at a Days Inn off I-294 not far from your house," said Pete. "Are you
hungry?" asked Mark. "Very, and we need
to get our car and get checked in first. We
also need to have a little talk. Without
little ears around." "A’right, Dad.
My ears aren't that little," said Scott. "We have some
important things to talk to Tommy about, concerning your grandparents." "I never met them
either and I just met Tommy." Mark picked up Scott
under the armpits and looked him in the eyes.
"How would you like to go to Six Flags Amusement Park
tomorrow?" Mark put him back
down. "Yes. Yes.
Yes." And Scott started
jumping up and down. "Can we
go? Can we go?
Please! Please!
Please!" "Perhaps, Scott,
now calm down. First we need to get
the adult things out of the way so we'll have time to play tomorrow.
Barbara can stay with him at the motel while we go to dinner and
talk." "Now, that's not
fair," said Mark. "I have an
idea," said Danny. How about
we leave Scott with my parents while we all go out to dinner.
I'm sure they won't mind." We all agreed that was
a good idea. Even Scott, when he
found out that Danny's mom had some homemade chocolate cake.
We agreed to meet at the motel and went to Mark's truck.
It was only a 10-minute ride after we got out of the airport.
It's amazing to me how quick you can go from one place to the other
quickly when it’s not rush hour. During
rush hour, Mark says, the same trip might take 45 minutes.
We called the Smiths and they were happy to take Scott.
They suggested because it was almost 8:00 PM that he stay overnight
there. We got to the motel and
only had to wait about 10 minutes before my brother pulled in.
They checked in and we told them about the Smiths’ offering to keep
Scott for the night. Scott liked
the idea because he'll get his own room and won't have to share with his
parents. I think his parents liked
the idea too because they looked at each other and winked.
It was getting late so we dropped off Scott and went to Red Lobster for
dinner. "Tommy, there is a
reason why you haven't seen me in the last 9 years. Our parents didn't approve of my marriage to Barbara.
They said we were too young. We
got into a big fight and we were told we weren't welcome there anymore.
So after we married we moved to Detroit and have been very happy.
I do love you and miss you, Tommy. I
guess I still love the folks too but it’s hard to deal with.
It's like an itch I can't scratch. Even
before I left I noticed how the folks treated you.
Our brother Bob also kept me informed after I moved out. I talked with him about all this yesterday.
We want you to know that none of this is your fault.
Although I've not talked to our folks in 9 years, Bob still does.
I don't want to embarrass you, Tommy or Danny, but Bob got a call from
Dad two days ago. Bob tried to calm
him down but he was not hearing him. We
both want you to know that no matter who you grow up to be we will always love
you and our home is your home if you want or need it.
However we will not go to court to take you away from someplace you’re
happy. Understand, Tommy? "Wow, that's a lot
to take in all at once. But with as
much as I've been through lately I'm not surprised. Let me think about everything you just said some." "No problem,
Tommy. It was best that I said it
all at once instead of beating around the bush.
So what were you guys up to today?" Mark went on to tell
Pete about our day. I was deep in
thought and heard nothing of what they were saying.
Now I understand why Pete never came to visit.
My parents lied to me. They
told me he didn't, because he didn't want to see his loser little brother.
Oh my God, Bob talked to my dad. Dad
had to tell him I'm gay. And Bob
must have told Pete. But he doesn't
seem to hate me? He even said I
could come live with him! Oh my
God, he must know all about me and Danny too.
He said he didn't want to embarrass either one of us. He said Bob stuck up for me too. "Tommy?" "Yes." "I asked you how
you felt about nearly being mugged today." "I'm sorry, I was
just thinking. I found it quite
exciting. I wasn't scared at all.
For the first time in my life I wasn't scared.
Having Mark, Mike, and Danny with me, I feel like there's nothing I can't
face. I've lived in fear most of my life and I'm not going to be
afraid any more. I’ve been
thinking about what you said, Pete, do you really know about me and Danny?" "Only secondhand
from Bob, based on comments from Dad. However,
I'd been watching you two since I've gotten here and I can see the love you have
for each other in your eyes." "And you don't
hate me?" "I could never
hate you Tommy, or Danny for that matter. As
a matter of fact, I feel it's kind of ironic that our parents hate both of us
because of who we love. If
anything, Tommy, I feel even closer to you.
I understand your pain." "It's great to
know that I still have family that loves me, Pete. A few days ago I thought I lost everything.
Now I have more than I ever had before." Our dinner arrived and
we all tore into it like a pack of wolves.
We decided we would go to Six Flags in the morning.
After we finished, Pete and his wife went back to the motel and we went
home. Danny and I stripped down to
our boxers got into bed and fell asleep at each other's arms. ******** |