Gregory A. Patrick
09/03/2021
Jaiden – Chapter 127
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Greg Patrick
"Mr.
Simanski, would you please approach the bench.
I have reviewed your petition for withdrawal from the criminal case the
Court assigned to you. Without stating your
reason for withdrawal, the Court has granted your request as stated in the
attached order. Therefore, the order
need not be filed with the Clerk of Court; the Court advises that you retain
said order in your confidential file for the required statutory time after
which you may destroy said order."
"Thank you,
your Honor; the order will be maintained as the Court has directed." Very well, Mr. Simanski, have a good
day." "You as well, your Honor."
"The State
of Tennessee calls the case of Leon Pettigrew."
"Mr.
Pettigrew, you are before the Court for a review of your progress in alcohol
and drug treatment. Mr. Prosecutor, do
you have the State's witnesses present?"
"I do, your
Honor. Ms. Deborah Till, will you please
come forward."
"Ms. Till,
has Mr. Pettigrew complied with his treatment protocol?" "He has, your Honor. His behavior and compliance have been
exemplary. In the past six months, Mr.
Pettigrew has earned two day passes, from which he returned early on both
occasions. In addition, on both
occasions, he met with the victims in his case at their request; they took him
to dinner or lunch. I will add that Drs.
Jaiden and Peyton have participated in Mr. Pettigrew's treatment protocol, and
with their help, Mr. Pettigrew has made tremendous progress. Your Honor, their participation in Mr.
Pettigrew's treatment is most unusual.
Without their help, I don't know if Mr. Pettigrew would have progressed
as charted to date."
"Drs. Jaiden
and Peyton, given the circumstances in Mr. Pettigrew's case, it is rather
unusual for individuals such as your selves to participate in your attacker's
treatment. Can you explain to the Court
why you each are doing so?"
"Your Honor,
Dr. Peyton and I are fans of Dr. Corbitt Thigpen, author of Three Faces of Eve
and a former psychiatrist in Augusta, Georgia.
Dr. Thigpen espoused the theory that people don't have behavior or drug
problems. Rather, they have issues that
cause them to act out or do drugs. He
stated in his approach that if one's problems are dealt with effectively, their
aberrant behavior will cease. We are
trusting that will be the case for Mr. Pettigrew."
"He wrote
each of us a letter of apology, and neither letter contained the same wording;
his notes were heartfelt. Dr. Peyton and
I also follow the theories of Dr. William Glasser, who believes a person's past
is not necessarily indicative of their future; we believe likewise."
"Mr.
Pettigrew, what do you think? Do you
believe you are making the progress that Drs. Peyton and Jaiden believe you are
making?" "Your Honor, I am trying so
hard to become the person I should and want to be. And I am trying to live up to the trust Drs.
Peyton and Jaiden have in me. However, I
believe I need to stay in counseling until my therapist thinks I have reached
the point where I need to be. I have
never felt the way I do now, and I have never felt like anybody believed in me
the way Drs. Jaiden and Peyton seem to."
The judge looked over his glasses at the two young doctors who were
sporting smiles from ear to ear.
"Ms. Till,
considering what Mr. Pettigrew has stated to the Court, what is your opinion of
his statements? "Your Honor, he is being
very straightforward in his remarks, and he has worked incredibly hard to prove
what he says. I have no problems saying
he is the most earnest, most compliant patient
I have ever had." "Ms. Till, how long
have you been a counseling psychologist?"
"Thirty years, your Honor." "Ms.
Till, you have placed a lot of trust in Mr. Pettigrew." "Your Honor, it is not a question of what I
have placed in Mr. Pettigrew; it is a question of what he has worked for and
earned."
"Mr. Pettigrew,
I am going to say something to you that I have never said to any Defendant who
has stood before this Court: son, I am
incredibly proud of you for the progress you have made to date. It is the Court's intention at this point
that when you complete your counseling program, the Court will consider the
outright dismissal of your case."
When the
Judge told Leon that, he collapsed and cried his heart out. Jaiden and Peyton sat on the floor of the
courtroom and held Leon until he calmed himself. When he stood up, Jaiden turned and asked,
"Your Honor, may I ask Ms. Till a question?"
"You may, Dr. Jaiden."
"Ms. Till,
would it be possible for you and Leon to have lunch with Peyton and me today?" "Dr. Jaiden, it would be unusual for me to do
that, but I see no harm in joining the three of you for lunch. If anything, it will give me a chance to
evaluate communication between the three of you." "Let's meet right after court at B. B. King's
Restaurant. I have a craving for some
fried chicken livers."
"Drs. Jaiden
Peyton, may I see you briefly in Chambers with Ms. Till and the
attorneys?" "Yes, sir."
"Gentlemen,
it is very uncommon for me to ask this, but would you mind if the attorneys and
I join you four for lunch?" "Not at all,
Judge, the more, the merrier! It will
probably boost Leon's confidence as well."
"Great. What say we all meet at
B. B. King's at 12:30?" Jaiden said he
would get a table for seven.
"Hello,
gents, what's good for lunch here?"
"Judge, everything on the menu is good.
I tried chicken livers after our brothers said they were good. I'd never had them before, and since our
first visit here, I get chicken livers at least every two weeks; but I'm afraid if I order them too much, I'll
get as big as the side of a barn."
Peyton said, "Judge, when he gains weight, he has to listen to his
mother, and she is one tough little lady."
"Jaiden,
what does your mother do for a living?"
"Judge, she is a doctor in Abingdon, Virginia. She has an urgent care clinic that stays busy
all the time, plus she works in the emergency room in the Abingdon hospital
when they need help. She is also still
on staff at St. Jude's." "Really; what's
her name?" "Mom."
"Young man,
that is interesting. Perhaps we have the
same mother because my mother's name is also Mom." Everybody laughed at the Judge's
comment. "Judge, her name is Dr. Peggy
Reynolds." "I used to have a friend here
by that name. Her husband died in a
plane crash." "Yes, sir. That would be my dad, Dr. Abe Reynolds, who
died while on a medical sabbatical to help children in Africa."
"Dr. Jaiden,
I knew something about you seemed very familiar. Your dad was my best friend here in
Memphis. It hurt me terribly when he
passed away." Jaiden saw the Judge's
eyes swelling and turning red and watery.
"Judge, I was three when my dad died, so all I remember about him is
what people tell me. We have some
pictures of Dad; otherwise, I wouldn't know what he looked like. I understand he was a very kind and patient
man with the children he tried hard to help.
Mom tells me I am just like Dad was when she sees me with my
patients. I certainly try to honor his
name and reputation." "Son, from what I
have learned and heard about you, you honor your dad beautifully." "Thank you, Judge; I try hard."
"Dr. Jaiden,
I didn't know that about you." "Leon,
it isn't something I talk much about; there are things that I never knew about
my dad and learned while I was in medical school. For example, I didn't realize he and my
mother also had graduate engineering degrees to help their patients in addition
to their medical training."
"Dr. Jaiden,
how did you find out about their degrees?"
"Leon, we learned about them when we moved to Erie after we graduated
from Wellstone University. Dale and Charley moved with us after Mom got them a
scholarship to Penn State's College of engineering. When we had our meeting at the park, the red head,
and the slender brown-haired guy you saw at the park with us are our adopted
brothers. We have lived together and
been very close since Wellstone. Our ten
children make our lives very interesting."
"Ten
children? In the same house? How old are
they?" Leon, all of our children were
born on the same day, and they are fifteen months old." "Wow!
You must have the patience of Job."
"Peyton and I have been told that.
Sometimes we want to argue the opposing thoughts to that reputation."
"Peyton,
what do you mean?" "Judge, have you ever
been in a van with ten babies and four adults with the windows rolled up and
locked after those children have eaten cruciferous vegetables?" "No, sir, and I don't think I want to." "Believe me, Judge, it is not a pleasant
experience." Peyton mumbled, "you can
say that again!"
"Peyton, you
seem to have had a first-hand experience with that problem." "I have, Judge. My parents came up to go to court with us
when Leon's case was first heard. Dad is
a mean practical joker, so I thought I'd feed the children broccoli salad and
not give them any Beano."
"Then we
took the children to the park to let them play and build up the explosive
consequences of eating the cruciferous vegetable. On the way home, I locked the van windows on
Dad. He paid me back by getting the
ladies to feed the vegetable dish to the children. We had to take them outside because we
couldn't stay in the house with them.
Jaiden gave them some Beano to get rid of the gas while we were
outside. It took almost two days to get
the house aired out."
"Yeah, I
remember Jim being a mean practical joker while we worked on our undergrad
degrees. It was so good to see them in
court when they were in town. Peyton,
your dad hasn't changed a bit." "Tell me
about it, Judge. Jenny is a worse
practical joker than Dad ever was, and he trained her to be that way." "How did you survive the two when you were
growing up?" "I aligned with Mom, and
she would make Dad squirm when he or Jenny went overboard with their joking."
"Jaiden
asked, "Judge, did your mom ever give you the evil eye that told you you'd
better straighten up or else?" "More times
than I can count, Jaiden." "Peyton's mom
gives Dad the evil eye, and he quickly backs off trying to rile Peyton." "That's funny; she controlled Jim the same
way when we were in college together."
"Leon, do
you know how fortunate you are to have someone like Dr. Jaiden and Dr. Peyton
come into your life?" "Judge, I fully
understand and appreciate that fact.
Everything about my life has been better since our initial
encounter."
"How so,
Leon?"
"Judge, for
starters, I am finally getting the help I've needed for a long time. I'm learning how to understand and control my
anxiety before it turns into anger. I
now know what it feels like to be sober and feel good when I wake up in the
morning. I have a long way to go in that
process, but I know without a doubt that I will get there."
"Last week,
I got a letter from Wellstone University asking me to apply for admission. They said they had already checked out my
high school grades, and they felt I would be a good fit for their
university. I got their letter at the
alcohol rehab center. They said that the
address they had to send their letter to me let them know I was working hard to
improve myself. I cried when I got that
letter because I never saw the possibility of going to college. And now there is a college I didn't know
about looking at me."
"Well,
gentlemen, Leon and I have to get back to the center; we have a group session
at 1:30. Jaiden and Peyton got up and
hugged Leon and said they'd talk with him later. The Judge, the District Attorney (Anthony
Smith), and his lawyer (Todd Melrose) shook hands with Leon when he left with
Ms. Till.
When they
had gone, the Judge looked at Jaiden and asked, "Jaiden, how did the university
learn about Leon?" "Judge, they haven't
found out about him – yet."
"Leon is
supposed to have an interview with the Dean of Men and the Director of Housing
at Wellstone when he completes his treatment.
I didn't have anything to do with them contacting Leon." "Then I wonder who did, Jaiden."
Peyton spoke
up and said, Judge, the Dean of Men at Wellstone is my uncle, and his wife is
the Director of Housing. Mom had told
them about the case here in Memphis, and they called me to find out more
information. I didn't tell them Leon was
in alcohol and drug treatment, all I did was give them the address where they
could send him an invite to apply for admission. The rest of the information they have they
got on their own. The only thing I did
was to ensure that if Leon would like to attend the university when he
completes treatment, he has a full-ride scholarship."
Leon's
lawyer, Todd Melrose, spoke up and asked, by full-ride scholarship, what do you
mean?"
"Todd, it means
his housing, meals, tuition, and books are paid for as long as he works hard
and passes his courses. If he needs a
tutor for anything, the tutor will be provided as well."
"Why? I have never had a client where an individual
the client assaulted did so much for him."
"Todd, Leon had been kicked in the teeth at every turn in his life. Twenty years down the road, he will be out of
trouble and live a good, more prosperous life if we do this for him. We think he deserves that change of life,
and, quite frankly, he has worked hard in treatment and deserves the break."
"Jaiden,
Peyton, I don't know what to say. Thank
you is the correct phrase to use, but it doesn't seem adequate after what you
have worked out for Leon." "Todd, Leon
has already said thank you by working so hard in his treatment. He will continue individual and group therapy
at Wellstone, so he will have the support he needs while there."
"Tony, what
do you think about the deal worked out for the Defendant?" "Judge, I don't know what to think. This is so out of the blue
and unusual; I have never encountered a
situation like this. God has certainly
unbelievably blessed Leon!" "I agree,
Gentlemen. Jaiden, Peyton, I don't know
how you did it, but thank you. What a
blessing the two of you have been to and for Leon." "Judge, all we have done is treat him the way
we would want to be treated if we were in his shoes."
That night,
Jaiden and Peyton got a call from their friends at Fox News asking about the
attack against Jaiden and what they were told had been done for Leon. Jaiden explained that Leon had many pitfalls
in life, and he was striking out more at emotional pain than at him. He told the news guys that he and Peyton were
simply trying to do something to improve Leon's life dramatically and hopefully
help him to have a happy and successful life twenty years down the road.
That night,
every significant news network carried the story on the six pm news. Thirty minutes later, the phone calls to
Jaiden and Peyton began. Dr. Mom,
Peyton's parents, Tony, and everybody else in Erie called. Finally, at ten that night, Jenny
called. Her temple, Peyton's and
Jaiden's home temples, and the temple in Memphis were all abuzz at the news
they heard about their friends and fellow temple members.
The
following day the administrators at St. Jude's were waiting to congratulate
Jaiden and Peyton for the news they had heard.
Not only had it painted Peyton and Jaiden in a good light, but it also
spoke well of St. Jude's for having the young doctors at their facility. The guys were congratulated by their young
patients and their families in every room they entered. Their young patients were beside themselves
at having such famous doctors. Even
their hospital co-workers were getting in on the congratulatory actions.
Two days
later, Peyton and Jaiden began receiving donations to help Leon's cause. Finally, when the gifts and cards began to
slow down, over $400,000 in donations had been accepted for Leon. Dale called his dad, and the money was
invested for Leon through his dad's firm.
That helped Dale's dad get recognition for bringing in a sizable
investment for the firm.
The guys
called the judge and informed him about the donations they received for Leon
and what they had done with them. The
Judge seemed stunned at the news of the contributions and thanked the guys for
what they had done to help Leon. He was advised they would be sitting down with
Ms. Till and Leon at the treatment center so Leon could be informed about the
gifts and what had been done with them.
Peyton
called Deborah Till, at the Alcohol and Drug Center, and set up a meeting to
meet with Leon at 11 am on Tuesday. They
walked into the treatment center promptly at 11 on Tuesday and went to Dr.
ill's office to have a conference with Leon.
"Leon, a lot
has happened for you in the past six months.
Dr. Jaiden and I have some news for you, but we don't want you to panic
or get upset when you hear what the information is." "Dr. Peyton, is it bad?" "No, quite the contrary, Leon. Did you see the news the other night when
they told your story and what Jaiden and I were trying to do to help you?" "Yes, sir.
Why?" "When Jaiden and I were featured
on the news for things we accomplished in Erie that resulted in changes for
students across the nation, we received many gifts for what we had done. The same thing has happened on your behalf."
"Dr. Peyton,
what do you mean?" "Leon, in the past week,
people sent us over $400,000 to help us help you. Dale's dad is our investment broker, so we
invested all the money we received in a trust investment account for you. Once you complete your program at Wellstone
University and graduate, every cent of the funds we received on your behalf
will be available to you to get a master's degree and buy yourself a lovely
home."
Leon started
sweating profusely after receiving the news Peyton delivered. When Leon lost it and started crying buckets
of tears, Jaiden knelt on his left knee in front of Leon. He took Leon's hands in his and said, "Leon,
look at me. Peyton and I intend to help
you turn your life around and, for the first time, help you have the most
comfortable, peaceful, and happy life you've ever had. You deserve that, and you know it!"
"Dr. Jaiden,
thank you for saying that. My life has
always been in shambles. For the past
ten years, I have lived in a tent where the homeless stay. I have nearly frozen to death because it was
so cold outside after snow fell. I've
had to forage for food in dumpsters to keep from starving. What you and Dr. Peyton are doing to help me
is something I am having a hard time wrapping my head around."
"Leon, if
the help you are receiving is hard to wrap your head around, stop trying to do
that and accept what people are doing to help you. I promise you, Dr. Peyton, and I will not
abandon you. We fully intend to help you,
however necessary, to be happy and successful in life."
"Dr. Jaiden,
when I complete my program here, I have to go back to the tent to live. I have to forage for food again, and I have
to put up with the dangers of living in a homeless camp." "Leon, who told you that crap?" "Nobody, it's just a reality for me." "That's pontificated bovine fecal
matter!" "What?" "Bullshit, Leon. When you complete
treatment here at the center, we will ensure you have a place to live until you
enter the university. You also don't
have to worry about getting to the university or getting around once you get
there; that has already been taken care of."
Leon couldn't say a word as he looked out the window of Dr. Till's
office as tears flowed down his face.
"Leon, why
don't you go to your room and lie down for a while. This has been an emotional day for you, and
you can use the downtime." "But Dr.
Till, I'll miss my counseling group.
That always makes me feel so much better. Can I go to my group and then have some
downtime?" "Leon, if it makes you feel
that much better, yes, you may, but I want you to lie down immediately after
group and get a good nap. Understood?" "Yes, mam."
"OK. Go on to your group session."
"Peyton,
Jaiden, that was quite a bombshell for that young man." "I agree, Deborah, but we couldn't keep that
from him. We hope it gives Leon the
impetus to try even harder to turn his life around."
"Guys, I
have no doubt that will happen! By the
way, where will you find a place for Leon to stay once
he completes treatment?" "He can stay
with our family. Our house is very
large, and he can have a choice of one of four bedrooms."
"We'll
ensure he continues in therapy and has as stress-free a life as possible. So, please, come to the house around seven
tonight and have coffee with our brothers and us. Then, we can sit on the deck
while our children play in the yard until they get tired and are ready to have
a bath and go to bed. I am sure that
will be an eye-opening experience for you.
Nine boys and a little girl who is their taskmaster and keeps them in
line. She is a hilarious, tough little
girl. The visit will give you time to
assess if the plan will be good for Leon.
We have a tranquil and peaceful home life that should help him relax and
feel loved."
"Here is the
address." "Guys, thank you for the
invite. I have a feeling it will be
relaxing for me." "Deborah, if it isn't,
we'll be surprised. Dale makes the best
coffee in town, and his knishes are to die for." "Gentlemen, thank you; I'll see you at
seven."
At seven
sharp, the doorbell rang at the house.
Jaiden answered the door and invited Dr. Till inside. Jaiden escorted the good doctor into the den,
where he introduced her to Dale and Charley.
"Dale, Charley, this is Dr. Deborah Till, the psychologist I told you
about." "Dr. T..." "Please, gentlemen, call me Deborah." "In that case, I'm Jaiden, my spouse is
Peyton; this young man is our brother, Dale, and the handsome redhead is his
spouse and our other brother, Charley."
"Gentlemen,
I have heard so much about you and read your histories back in Erie; It is nice to finally meet you." "Likewise, Deborah."
"Dale, is
the coffee ready?" "It is, Jaiden, and
the knishes are coming out of the oven as we speak." "Dale, those knishes smell heavenly, and the
aroma of the coffee is amazing."
"Deborah, wait until you taste Dale's coffee with the knishes he
makes. Every lady in the temple is
jealous of his knishes. Hadassah is
making Dale give the ladies a course in how to make the pastries. They can hang up trying to make coffee like
Dale's; nobody has been able to make it taste like the coffee he makes."
"Jaiden, I
bet you ten to one that Deborah can."
"Why do you say that, Dale?" "She
will pay attention to the measurement of the ground coffee. Hardly anybody has done that, and it's why
their coffee is always different." "Show
Deborah how you make the coffee, and let's see if hers will taste like yours."
Dale pulled
the kitchen scales out of the cabinet and poured coffee grounds into a dry
basket. Donna set the filled basket on
the scales, got the weight, and re-bagged the coffee. Then she put the basket on the scales and
filled it with coffee until the weight she observed on the scales had been
reached. Then she put the coffee basket
into the coffee maker, added ten cups of water, and started the brewing
process. When the coffee maker completed
running the water through the coffee grounds, Dale poured Jaiden a cup, added
the Stevia and fresh cream, and handed the cup to his brother. When Jaiden tasted the coffee, his eyes
widened as he said, "Why can't I do this?"
Dale said, "Jaiden, I have already told you why; you ignore the amount
of coffee I use, Deborah didn't."
Dale looked
at Deborah and told her not to show Jaiden how she'd made the coffee. "He's got to learn to measure the coffee
grounds. Before the night ends, show him
how to do it." Dale emptied the coffee
basket, rinsed it out, and then dried it with paper towels. When everybody had gotten a cup of coffee and
gone to the deck, Dale poured out the remaining coffee so Deborah would have to
show Jaiden how to make coffee properly.
When the
adults were on the deck, the children noticed a new adult was with their dads,
so they shuffled up the steps to meet Deborah.
As they started up, Peyton said, Deborah, get ready for an onslaught of
children. They just noticed you, and
they're coming to meet the new person."
No sooner
had the children gotten onto the deck when Nathan, known as Seth Jr., pointed
his finger at Deborah and said, "Da, cute."
Deborah started hysterically laughing and said how darling Nathan was
when he said cute.
Jaiden was
so embarrassed that his face was red. He
tried to explain to Deborah that they were working to get Nathan to stop saying
cute every time he met a lady – or a girl.
"He is just like Peyton's youngest brother. It took me the longest to get Seth to stop
saying that at the hospital."
"Why was
Seth in the hospital?" "Deborah, his biological
dad tortured him after his mom caught him kissing his boyfriend in his
bedroom. They didn't know Seth was gay
for apparent reasons. His dad took a
broom handle and assaulted him rectally."
"We took
Seth to the hospital where Peyton and I were Physician's Assistants, and the
doctor for whom we worked examined Seth. He found several tears in Seth's colon, a
ruptured spleen, a damaged kidney, and six broken ribs." The boy was in the hospital for a month and a
half."
"When
everything happened, Richard was a friend of ours in medical school, and he
came to us out of fear for Seth.
Peyton's dad called and was told we were in surgery helping Dr. Brannan
take care of Seth. So, he called my
mother, a doctor in Virginia. The next
thing we knew, my mom and Peyton's parents flew into Erie and met us at the
hospital the following morning. Peyton's
dad is a big man, and he kept saying he wanted to get his hands on Seth's
bio-donor."
"I can say
without any doubt whatsoever, that had Dad gotten his hands on Seth's dad, he
would have torn him to pieces."
"A friend of
ours from the temple where we are members took care of the legal issues in the
case. We went to court the following
day, and Richard and Seth's parents went to prison for a long time. I doubt their bio-dad will ever get out of
jail. The judge terminated all parental
rights."
"Peyton's
dad got the lawyer to draw up adoption papers before we went to court. When parental rights were terminated, the
legal eagle presented the adoption papers to the judge who signed off on
them. Richard and Seth walked out of the
courtroom with new parents who loved them unreservedly."
"Dad
immediately paid off all of Richard's medical school loans and prepaid the
costs of his final year of medical school.
As for Seth, he lives on a farm in Orange Beach. He has been well educated in a Jewish high
school. He starts vet school at the
University of Florida in December. There
were some prerequisites that the university placed on Seth, but he got the last
laugh by completing all the college courses while he was in high school."
"The
comparison of Nathan to Seth is because I had to correct Seth several times for
telling nurses they were cute. He told
one nurse she was hot."
"When my mom
and Peyton's mom walked into his hospital room the morning after flying into
Erie, Seth said, `Mr. Jaiden, I am going to have to close my eyes before I get
into more trouble'. I asked him why, and
he said because pretty women kept walking into his room. The nurse he kept saying was hot is now his
sister-in-law, and they have a beautiful relationship. Nathan seems to be just like Seth."
"Jaiden, at
Nathan's age, that isn't a problem. But
I would say in this instance that it shows he has good taste." When she said that, Charley spat coffee over
the deck railing as he started laughing.
"Jaiden, Deborah has a point you can't argue with."
Before the
night was over, Deborah said she'd had reservations about Leon living with
Jaiden and his family, but what she had observed that night changed her
mind. "Jaiden, do you guys think it
would be OK to let Leon come here Friday night and then go back to the center
early on Sunday evening?"
"We can test
his reaction to the possibility of a new living situation?" "Deborah, I think that would be a good
idea. I'll get Ginny and Granny to get
him a room set up tomorrow so it will be ready for Leon on Friday."
That night,
Jaiden called his friend, Mr. Pugh, at the Ford dealership in Erie and made
arrangements to have a new Ford Escape delivered to the house from the Memphis
Ford dealer on Friday morning. The
paperwork for the car would be faxed to the Memphis dealership for Jaiden and
Peyton to sign on Thursday.
Peyton,
Dale, Charley, and Jaiden sat down after dinner and drew up a set of house
rules for Leon, mainly that there would be no yelling, screaming, cursing, or
any other kind of discord. One
stipulation of the agreement was that the police would be immediately notified
and allowed to search the residence if any illegal drugs or substances were
found or thought to be in the house.
The rules
were faxed to Dr. Till, who would put them on the center letterhead, cover them
with Leon, and have him sign them.
Thursday afternoon,
Leon was called into Dr. Till's office and told that he would be placed into a
sponsor's home for the weekend. If the
residence is compatible with the environment Leon needs, the stay, more likely
than not, would be a temporary placement until he starts school at Wellstone
University. The rules Leon would be
required to abide by were covered with and signed by him.
Friday
evening, Dr. Till took Leon to the residence where he would stay until he began
college in January. When he saw the
house, his eyes bulged. "Dr. Till, I have never stayed in a home this nice; it is a bit
intimidating to me." "Leon, I promise
you that as long as you abide by the house rules, you shouldn't ever have a
problem. When we get inside, I'll
introduce you to everybody. Then we'll
all sit down and discuss what is expected of you, what you will have to do to
complete your treatment plan, and how the family hopes to help you. There shouldn't be any reason for you to be
nervous. I have already spent time with
the family in the home, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your
accommodations here. Are you ready to go
inside and meet the family?" "Dr. Till I
am as ready as I can be. I hope they can
understand what I have been through and know what I am trying to do to get my
life straight." "Leon, I think you will
be pleasantly surprised."
The two
walked to the front door of the home and rang the doorbell. When Jaiden answered the door, Leon
collapsed, and Jaiden caught him before he hit the ground. All the guys in the house helped get Leon
calmed down and then took him to the den.
Everybody discussed the rules that Dr. Till already covered with
Leon. When that discussion was had,
Jaiden looked at Leon and asked, "Leon, will you please let us help you?" "Dr. Jaiden, I will do my best to let you and
your family help me. After how I talked
to and treated you at the park, I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around
everything. This is so surreal to
me."
"Leon, we
all are good at sizing a person up, and you are a good person who has had a
hard time in life. We intend to help you
change and work into a life you are happy and successful with."
"Dale will
work with you on improving your self-esteem by teaching you some things that
will help you to never again doubt your abilities in anything. Charley is incredibly good at keeping you
focused on what you need to accomplish and helping you do that. Peyton and I will help you financially with
whatever you need. We aren't charging
you rent, and we don't want you worrying about that. We want you to stay with us until you begin
your studies at Wellstone University in January. If we go out to eat, you will go with us. If we go on a vacation or a long weekend
somewhere, we expect you to go with us and be a part of the family."
"Charley and
Dale graduate from Wellstone and Penn State in December. We will fly up to attend the graduations, and
we expect you to go with us and be a part of the family. While we are in Brevard, we'll introduce you
to a friend of ours who will help you any way he can when you need help. He'll also let us know if any problems come
up."
"Peyton's
uncle is Dean of Men, and his aunt is Director of Housing at Wellstone
University. They have offered to help
you in any way they can. In addition, we
helped set up a specific counseling program while we were at Wellstone, and we
have spoken to the director of the Counseling Center. She has pledged to make sure you get any
counseling you may need while at Wellstone."
"I realize
this is a lot to take in; you need to understand where we are all coming
from. So, please understand that our
faith requires us to share our resources to help a person in need whenever we
can. We believe Hashem, God, put you in
our path so we could help you. We have
thanked Hashem for doing that. We will
all be blessed by him tenfold for whatever we need to do to help you. We have been blessed in every situation where
we assisted someone who needed our help."
"Leon, my
mother, and Peyton's parents will be here in two weeks. They have something they want to help you
with when you get to Wellstone. Then,
when they fly into Memphis, they'll talk with you about what they want to do to
help you. Did you bring your clothes
with you? "I did, Dr. Jaiden."
"Good. Now, the first thing I want you to stop doing
is calling me Dr. Jaiden and calling Peyton Dr. Peyton. We are now family to you, and we want you to
address us as Peyton and Jaiden,
OK?" "Yes, sir, I'll try to do that, but
it may take me some time to get used to that."
"Leon, I'm Dale, and the handsome redhead is Charley." "Yes, sir."
"Tomorrow,
you will get to meet the children. They
are in bed asleep right now. I'll warn
you ahead of time; they are going to be excited when they meet you." "Dale, how many children do y'all have?" "Leon, between Peyton and Jaiden, and me and
Dale, we have ten children." "In one
house?" "In one house, and they all get
along well with each other. They are raised
as brothers with a sister, and they are very protective of each other." "WOW!
I've never known anybody with that many children, especially in one
house. How old are the children?" They are all fifteen months old, brilliant,
and very well behaved; you'll see."
"Did you
bring your clothes inside?" No, sir,
they are in Dr. Till's car." "Well, bro,
go get them and bring them inside, and we'll show you the room that will be
yours."
Leon got his
clothes and brought them inside the house.
The guys took him and Deborah downstairs and told Leon he would be
staying in the back bedroom on the left since it would be the quietest
room. While everybody was downstairs,
Jaiden paid close attention to the clothes Leon unpacked, and he didn't like
what he saw.
"Leon, we're
going shopping tomorrow night and get you some nice clothes, new shoes, and
plenty of underclothes; you don't have near what you should have." "Jaiden, I don't want to burden you that
way!" "Who said
it was a burden? Nobody here commented
in that regard. Hopefully, while you
stay here, you'll learn here that it's much easier to take care of someone's
needs before things get out of hand."
"Any
questions about your bedroom?" "No, sir,
it's a beautiful room." "Good. Come with me," Jaiden, Deborah, and the other guys walked
into the garage as the door was rolling up.
When the door was completely up, Jaiden took everybody onto the
turnaround at the garage doors.
When they stepped
up to the Escape, Jaiden said, "Leon, you are going to have limited access to
this car until you complete your treatment program here in Memphis. Then, when you get to Brevard and Wellstone,
this car will be your vehicle, so you'll have a way around Brevard to do
whatever you may need to do while in college there."
"If you are
caught drinking or under the influence of drugs while at Wellstone, the car
will be permanently removed from your use.
I am not paying insurance on this vehicle unless you agree to what I
have outlined to and for you, Capeesh?" "Capeesh, Jaiden."
Later in the
afternoon, Jaiden watched as Leon sat on the deck staring at the
mountains. He could tell Leon was deep
in thought about something, so he walked outside and asked, "watcha thinking
about Leon?"
"When we
went to the temple this morning, and the Rabbi spoke about why good things
happen to bad people, that hit home with
me. I have had to fight for what I need
all my life, and I am still trying to figure out why you and your family have
been so good to me."
"Leon, I've
asked you before, and I will ask you again:
don't you think you deserve to have someone be good to you, to have what
you need without having to fight for it?"
"Jaiden, that is so foreign to me that I don't know how to answer your
question."
"Since you said that, I will tell you something that is one of the most important things you can learn and do for yourself as you live your life: Stop wasting your time chasing things that don't matter."