Twelve
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“ George told me too. Well, all of it except the five beers and what I tipped the waitress. I won’ t drive someone’ s vehicle if I’ ve had anything to drink,” Eddie said, as the car was delivered. Frank took the wheel and flew down the highway. Eddie got the chance to check out the interior of the car.“ I guess you can trust George won’ t let the cat out of the bag?”“ I trust him as much or more than Rodney.”“ I honestly did not see a family resemblance to your late wife,” Eddie said. Frank laughed and told the story of how George became a big brother to Carol.
The twenty year veteran, Sgt. Michael McNeill received the call for a domestic disturbance at 4:15 PM. He was two blocks away when the call changed to,“ Shots fired.” Rookie Carlos Hernandez was on his way as back-up, siren blaring. People from the houses nearby were in the street of the usually quiet suburban neighborhood. A woman next door yelled through an open window.“ I called. It has been quiet since I heard one loud bang,” she said. Michael and Carlos approached cautiously. With guns drawn the officers entered the house. The smell of gunpowder was present. They moved quickly sweeping the empty living room with their pistols. Michael saw a person standing statue-still just inside the kitchen doorway. A thin, bare-chested, teen, partially, blocked the view of the carnage just beyond. He held a rifle pointed at a man lying on the floor in a pool of blood. The kitchen knife near the outstretched hand was soaked. Michael could not tell if the blood was from the man or the woman lying next to him as he approached.“ Son, I need you to put down the weapon,” Officer McNeill said with deliberate calmness.“ He’ s gonna be really pissed,” the young man said and began to tremble but did not drop the gun.“ Are those your parents?” Michael asked, as Carlos called for an ambulance, his gun still trained on the acne covered teen with the rifle.“ He said he was gonna cut off the balls I thought I had, after he was done with her.” Michael had carefully moved close enough to take the weapon. The boy did not let go.“ He is gonna get up and he’ s gonna be really mad.”“ My partner has his gun on him. He won’ t let him hurt you,” Michael lied about the first part and didn’ t think the guy on the floor with part of his head missing was going to hurt anyone. A pink bubble escaped the mouth of the woman on the floor. Michael removed the deer rifle from young George’ s hands.“ She is still alive,” Michael said to Carlos, who lowered his weapon. The ambulance could be heard.“ Did you believe him?” Michael asked. George looked at the officer as if he were crazy.“ Of course. He’ s my dad.” Tears ran a jagged course through valleys created by blemishes.
The paramedics met Carlos at the door. Michael was moving George from the kitchen to the sparsely furnished but immaculately kept living room. They sat on the couch.“ Can you tell me what happened?”“ He was going to skin her alive for flirting with the guy that delivered the groceries.”“ But she wasn’ t flirting.”“ NO!. She was just being polite. Momma is always polite.”“ Your mom is going to the hospital. Do you have relatives nearby?” Michael’ s heart was already going out to this young man. This was the worst part of his job. Humanity at it’ s finest. George shook his head and asked if his Momma was going to be okay.“ You saved her life,” Michael said, trying to put a ray of sunshine into this disaster.
The TV was on in the living room as Michael and George entered. A young woman was sleeping on the couch.“ Who is that?” George asked.“ Babysitter,” Michael whispered. They did not have much chance to discuss anything at the station. Twelve year old George was released to Michael and the drive home was very quiet. Over the next few months Officer Michael spent a lot of time with George and his thirty-year-old mom, Darlene. Michael taught George the rules of chess and within a dozen games was having a difficult time winning. Darlene fell in love with the attentive widower and his two young daughters. After six months, they tied the knot. Nine months later they had a daughter named Carol.
George was fourteen and had three sisters who adored him. The acne was cleared with proper medication, but the scars would remain, inside and out. His free time was spent with the family he dreamed of having. He fed and rocked his baby sister. He helped the other two with their homework and loved reading to them. They pestered him about when he was going to get a girlfriend. He told them he had all the love he could stand right