School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Fourteen

SAM

Helen came to our home for dinner on Sunday evening and met Michelle, three-year-old Spence, and our baby. She shared all about her family back in DC with us. I enjoyed our visit, and she said she would keep in touch with us and stay up to date on Danny and his family from her office at the FBI headquarters in Washington. She also said that she was going to look for a K-12 school like Two Thousand Smiles, and if she couldn’t find one, she would start the wheels rolling to establish one. She was very impressed with the warmth, nurturing, and involvement of everyone here in our county.  

As I stood near the Yodelers and glanced at my watch. I thought of Helen, who would be boarding her flight back to DC. It was good to have a friendly face there. I watched Danny walk his older sister to her second-grade classroom and was pleased that they both waved at me as they walked by. Danny looked happy and relaxed and validated the reason I’d given Georgia, our principal, for putting in all this time to help him and his family. I didn’t need permission to support the family; I just needed to keep her informed. When I started teaching about 15 years ago, I almost had to ask for permission to go to the restroom. This new, informal, and truly human way of running a school was far better in every way.

Everyone in my cohort was seated by the time Danny got back from escorting his sister to her room. As soon as Danny was sitting, I addressed the entire group: “I am now able to tell you all more about our newest cohort member, Danny, and even tell you his real last name. He has a fascinating story about why he is at our school. First, because Danny’s story is quite long, is there anyone who has a rather urgent experience they would like to share with us? Ella held up her hand and said, “I just want to tell you, Sam, and all of you, that it was an honor and a pleasure to help Danny and his family move into an apartment here near Two Thousand Smiles.” Both Danny and I smiled and nodded.

“Anyone else?” I looked around, and no one had a hand up, so I nodded to Danny and said, “So, Danny, tell us your story.”

Danny looked around, made eye contact with everyone, and began, “First, I want to thank Ella and Sam for all their help. Sam had contacted an FBI friend in Washington, D.C, and she found three other FBI agents, and they rescued my mom and my two little sisters, who were kinda in prison in the horrible house where our dad had held us captive in the little town of Flowers, Mississippi. To give you some idea of how we all lived there, I’ll tell  you about the first time we tried to escape about a year and a half ago.” He then told us about how they – his mom, two sisters, and he - took the bus to Memphis, and instead of finding a new life, they discovered their awful dad waiting for them in Memphis. When he brought them back home, he beat their mom up and threw her down the stairs, and she had to go to the hospital. He ended that part of his story by saying, “That all happened in early February when dad was at a meeting in Jackson, the state capital. After she got out of the hospital, Dad made me stay home and help Mom. Dad didn’t want anyone outside the family to know how badly Mom was hurt. Also, he didn’t want to pay anyone to help Mom. Anyway, I missed the rest of the school year, and I flunked. That’s why I’m twelve and in the fifth grade. Oh, and that’s okay, cuz I like you all.” Joe Jackson raised both hands above his head like a boxer who just won a match. Joe is really a wonderful kid to have in class, as he helps all of us feel a bit lighter.

Before Danny continued, Joe asked, “Danny, why didn’t you or someone stop your dad?”

“My dad is the law in Flowers – our little town of a few hundred people who are scared to death of him. If anyone does anything he doesn’t like, he throws them in jail. I even saw him kill my very own grandpa.” Everyone in the cohort gasped. Chris uttered out loud, “Oh, my god.” Followed by similar utterances of others. ”Oh, unbelievable,” “Damn,” more “Oh my gods, and on and on; and finally, Ella’s, “My god, Danny, how did you escape and get to San Diego?”

Danny told them about Bubba Wilson and his getting beaten up by Danny’s dad, Robert E. Lee, and that was the crime that allowed the FBI to obtain a warrant to arrest his dad. Danny continued, “And the FBI in Mississippi, this last Friday, went to the house to fetch mom, and they had to taser and tie up two guys who dad had hired to guard mom and the girls to make sure they didn’t try to escape again. Anyway, the guards had called dad, who was at the football game, and told him someone was prowling around the house and to come home. So Ratso, that’s my name for dad, came to the house, and the FBI was waiting for him. When Ratso pulled his gun, they tasered him before he could pull the trigger. He was standing at the top of the stairs, and when he was tasered, he began to fall and fell sideways down those damnable stairs. He must have held up his gun hand because he shot himself in the neck before he fell.”

As Danny told everyone about the horror back in Mississippi, he spoke so clearly that he sounded as if he had been there and seen it firsthand. I’m sure the scene is burned into his young mind. He ended his narration with, “And I’m glad the son-of-bitch is dead.” He looked around the room as if he dared anyone to contradict him or tell him he was bad for thinking that and calling his dad a sob. Everyone sat quietly, crying, and looked like they were holding their breath. I believe he needed to tell this story to such a warm and supportive group. I could never have told a story like this to my elementary school classmates in the bad old days when I was a kid. I glanced at my watch and was surprised to notice that Danny took up nearly the entire first hour. I said, “Okay, it’s almost the end of our first period, so let’s take a break. And Danny, thank you for being so beautifully brave and telling us about you and your family’s story.” After our break, I continued to be amazed at the mature way Danny handled the questions about how he managed to get away from Ratso, talk Bubba into giving him a ride, and then find a place to stay in our county. He sounded like he was at least fifteen or even eighteen rather than twelve. At the end of our session, Ella said. “I’d like to commend Danny for his courage and strength to do all he has done and for saving his mom and sisters.”

49 

Everyone in the class, including me, clapped. I went over to Danny and said, “Please stay a minute, I have some news for you.” I motioned for him to sit down close to me. “Clair Danley just called to tell me that your mom has already been through the necessary surgery to straighten her leg. She was in a great deal of pain, but Clair said she was very cooperative with the doctor and hospital staff. The surgery was necessary to relieve the pain and allow her to walk without pain. They had to give her a general anesthetic because they had to re-break the leg and put a new cast on it. Clair said she is still asleep and will need to stay in the hospital tonight and perhaps another day or two. She said you and the girls should stay here at the school for the entire school day, then visit your mom. Clair will send her assistant in a county car. She said I should tell you because she looks so young, but she is safe to take you and the girls to the hospital. Okay?” Danny nodded and looked very disturbed. I added, “What’s the matter, Danny. You look sad or worried.”

“I’m just angry at myself for not having done a better job of fixing mom’s broken leg before I put all those ace bandages around it.” His face filled with tears, and he rather haltingly said, “Mom started walking in pain and with a limp after we failed to get away that time in Memphis. And I’m sure he beat her again and made it worse after Ratso thought she had something to do with me getting away. After Memphis, Ratso started hitting me when I yelled at him that we needed to take Mom to the hospital. He said, ‘That deceitful little bitch doesn’t deserve a hospital. And you are going to take care of her. Now shut the hell up. And with that, he slapped me so hard my ears rang for a week. I’m so damned sorry I didn’t do better with the leg.” I think my anger at Ratso matched Danny’s.

By three-thirty, Danny’s tears had dried up, and a new-looking SUV with the San Diego County Social Services logo on the door pulled up in front of the school. A perky young woman, who looked to be about Danny’s age, got out. I was standing near the front entrance, and the girl put out her hand and said, “Hi, I’m Jan Hastings, and you must be Mr. Sam Collins.” She looked over my little crowd and, with a rather delightful smile, added, “And you must be Danny, Susan, and Jacque Sherman-Lee.” She said, “One of you can sit in front with me if you like. I thought that the little trio increasingly looked relaxed as they began their second evening in their ‘new’ apartment. Jan Hastings seemed to have the right personality to be their babysitter. By the way they all talked, she was the exact opposite of the kind of adults they experienced in Flowers. 

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Twenty Three

DANNY AND CHRISTMAS

On a Monday in the middle of December and before class started, I asked Sam how we would be celebrating Christmas. He said, “By taking a two-week vacation.” He responded, and I continued, “I’m serious, back in ol’ Mississippi, Christmas was about the only time of year people, and even boy-people, worked to be nice to one another. Gordo said most of his family would think our school couldn't be good if we didn't celebrate the birth of Jesus, so he never mentions our school this time of year when he’s home. So…?” When Sam just gave me a blank look, I said, “Could we talk about that in our cohort?”

Sam smiled and answered, “Only if everyone in our group wants to. Is that okay?” I said, “Sure.”

The next day, he brought up the idea this way: “Some of you would like to discuss Christmas because of comments you’ve heard from family members. As I’m sure you know, we do not teach or preach any definitive ideas about religion or other sets of beliefs. We want all of our students to be free thinkers, so what do you think about this idea: Starting next Monday, each one of us will share what we’ve learned about Christmas as we were growing up and observing our family’s ideas and customs, and what are your own family's  current ways of celebrating Christmas. And if you do not want to do that, then share with us why not. How’s that?” Everyone agreed it would be interesting, and Gordo and Elie volunteered to go first on Monday. 

So on Monday, Elie got it going, “My Dad and Mom are Catholics, and I was baptized in that religion, and the only time we go to church is on Christmas. We go to the Midnight Mass here in Monte Vista, and it is really nice. It is quite a production; everyone sings the traditional Christmas hymns, and a good choir sings special songs, and the pastor, Father Grady, is the center of attention, and I think he is supposed to be like Jesus at the so-called Last Supper and changes some wafers and wine into the body and blood of Jesus. Last year, I got my grandma and grandpa upset when I said that changing the wafer into Jesus’s body and wine into his blood was just a symbolic change, not a real one. I was told that I was a heretic. I don’t know what that is, but it is terrible, and they made me cry. So, I think that’s the reason they are not visiting us this year. Anyway, I think that they, my grandparents, believe that Jesus was God and continues to be God, and I don’t understand it at all, and I don’t care. My Dad thinks Jesus was a very enlightened man, kind of like Gandhi or Martin Luther King, but he never says anything about his beliefs when Mom’s parents are around. Last Christmas, he got angry at Mom’s folks when they made me cry. He did his best to be a peacemaker. So, I don’t know what to believe about Christmas. I like to think of it as a joyful celebration of life and love, as Dad says. I’m interested in what all your families feel about Christmas. Oh, and please don’t tell anyone about what I said about my family. 

Gordo turned to Sam and asked, “Do you want me to go now or talk about Elie’s story?” Sam asked Elie, and she said, “I’d like to wait until we hear more reports, if that’s okay.” Sam raised his hand and said, “I agree with Elie. How about the rest of you?”  All but two agreed with Sam and Elie. They said they didn’t care, so Gordo, began, “My grandma and my mom just believe that Christmas just celebrates the fact, and they really mean ‘fact’, that Jesus, the human Son of God, was born of a Virgin Mother named Mary who was married to a young man named Joseph who took care of Mary and her newborn baby named Jesus and all the other stuff good believing Catholics are told they must believe if they want to go to heaven. I don’t think my grandpa and my pa say anything at all about religion, so I don’t know what they think. Both of them go to church with the women and all of the children, including me, but they sit out front on the church steps. I don’t say anything about all that. So, well, I don’t have much to report. I kinda like what Evie’s dad says.”

Joe Jackson jumped in, “I’ll go, but I really don’t have much to report. My mom doesn’t go to church at all and seems to be more generous and fun to be with around Christmas time. She never talks about her growing-up family; she goes around doing what everyone else does. I asked her about what she thought about Christmas and our assignment, and she said, “I thought I was sending you to a school where you would become a free thinker. What’s this all about? They try’n to make a damn Christian outta you?” He stood up, put his right forearm above his eyes as if he were hiding, and said, “Then, I said, ‘No, all of our home group, or cohort, members are asking their family members about Christmas.” Keeping his hiding arm up, he went on, “She told me to tell that Sam fella that he’s full of shit.” 

Everybody, including me, laughed our fool heads off. If we had been in Mississippi, Joe would have been expelled for sure. We laughed for several minutes. Olivia, who was sitting next to Joe, kept trying to say something but couldn't calm herself. She finally managed to tell us that her dad would like Joe’s mom and would laugh with us if he were here, and that her mom just wanted the joy and the giving at Christmas, but her dad definitely did not believe in a god who was any kind of puppeteer and would make her a cripple. Olivia told us that her parents and older sister just thought there was a god, and that was all they knew. None of my fellow students seemed to be sure about what we must believe, and I really liked that. I hated the idea that we gotta believe that Jesus was god or we’d go to hell, and I wasn’t ready to say anything yet. I hope I can wait until tomorrow or the next day.

Chris shared that his mom was a history teacher and was now teaching about the history of the winter solstice celebrations over the centuries.  He said, “I was astonished when mom said that one of the earliest times was around 2,000 B.C., and was celebrated by several cultures around the Mediterranean Sea and East Asia.  The early Christians adopted many practices, such as gift-giving and lighting candles on Dec. 21^st. And celebrations of all kinds. As far as we know, it was all very positive, and the Sun was in the center of everything. I think Jesus replaced the sun for the Christians. And no one knows where and when Jesus was born.” 

Evie asked Sam if we could ask Chris’s mom to come to our cohort and talk about the history of Christmas. Sam said, “I’m afraid some people would think we are teaching Christianity, so I don’t think it is a good idea. I’ve already gotten two calls about my plan to discuss Christmas. I believe that we humans are spiritual  beings and capable of becoming very enlightened and loving beings, and I also believe there are several religions who also have beliefs and practices promoting our growth in love and enlightenment, So, Evie, are you ready to have us discuss your family’s traditions?” 

Evie pulled out several pages from the shelf under her seat, and I was a bit afraid she was going to start reading to us. She pulled out the third page, and I noticed she or someone had printed a few words: “Save the world and everyone and everything in it and on it. This is the reason we are born and live.“ The words were large and beautifully printed, and she held the page up and turned so everyone could see it. She said, “My dad did this for me after I asked him what Jesus’s message was for us. She then took another page with the names Confucius, Buddha, Lao Tse, Jesus, Mohammed, Gandhi, Tolstoy, St. Francis of Assisi, Martin Luther King, Albert Einstein, Leonardo da Vinci, and many others. My daddy said these people were excellent examples of enlightened humans and exemplars of Jesus and the spirit of Christmas. I want to be like that when I grow up.” I clapped, and everyone else joined me.    

We had only a few minutes left in our cohort session, so I thanked everyone. I had told them that I had asked Sam about Christmas, and I’m glad he set this up. So thanks again, Sam. Maybe I’ll call you Santa Claus now.

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Thirteen

DANNY

I embarrassed myself by yelling, "Mommy!" When I saw her step off the train behind a well-dressed and attractive young woman, I guessed it was Helen. Mom was so surprisingly well-dressed. If her face weren't so bruised and beaten up looking, she would look like someone I'd never seen before. She had on new tan slacks, a rose-colored blouse, and an attractive little hat. Helen helped her down from the last step as if Mom were a crippled old lady. She was a crippled young lady, and I felt sure she was still recovering from a severe beating from Ratso for letting me run away. She reached back to help Jacque down the steps while still holding Helen's hand. Helen let go of mom's hand, picked Jacque up, and placed her on the tarmac.

Susan looked perky and very alive as she stood on the last step. She spied me and yelled, "Danny!" I rushed over and picked her up, and we hugged. It was then that Mom and Jacque saw me and came over, joining us in the hug. We stayed as if glued together for I don't know how long, and it felt soooo good. The girls were dressed in wonderfully pretty girl clothes. The last time I saw them dressed so nicely was at Susan's kindergarten graduation. I had been holding both girls as we hugged, and I set them down and introduced them to Clair and Sam.

Helen had climbed back on the train to pick up two medium-sized suitcases, and when she stepped down from the train car, I introduced her to Sam and Clair. Clair said, "We've talked so much on the phone, I feel we already know each other, and you know Sam from way back to graduate school, is that right?" I felt a bit stupid for not knowing that, but then how could I have – I needed to learn how to be around ordinary people, especially adults. 

I heard Helen tell Sam, "I volunteered to accompany this family to California so I could see you again after all these years. I think everyone who was with me in the rescue would have been willing to do it." She looked around, and I could see that they were a bit of a distance from us, but I could hear her as she whispered, "They are a very brutalized little group. The mother is still limping from the beating she took for letting Danny run away. Oh, and she also 'fell' down the stairs."

I knew it, the cruel bastard "punished" mom for not being like him. I heard Clair ask Helen something about the hospital, and Helen said, "Not right away." Clair wanted to know if Mom should be taken to the hospital right then. Sam said, "I'm hungry, and I'm guessing all of you travelers are too, right?" Susan and Jacque nodded, and Mom frowned and muttered something about being too much trouble. Sam responded, "No, Marge." When Sam saw Mom's startled look, he added, "Danny gave me your name. And I want you to know that I don't think you were much trouble then, and believe me, you are NOT in a lot of trouble now, nor will you be in the future. We welcome you to California, and now I want you to know there is a very nice restaurant just a few blocks away. Would that be okay?"

Susan was surprisingly forward, "Anything, I'm starved. Can we have fish?"

"I was just going to ask if a seafood restaurant was okay. Fishes are seafood, aren't they?" Sam turned to Jacque, who just shrugged her shoulders and hid behind Mom. Susan smiled a little and looked up at him and muttered, "You're funnin' us, ain't you?" Sam nodded and tried to touch her on the shoulder, and she backed away. Both Sam and Clair brought cars to the train station. Since it had been over a month since I had seen Mom and the girls, I chose to ride with them in the same car.  We climbed into Clair's car – mom and the girls in the back seat, and I got in the front with Clair.

When we got to Seaport Village, I guessed that Susan had become the spokesperson for the threesome, and I asked Clair, "Who are you, and why are you and Mr. Sam helping us?

Before she could answer, Sam said, "Susan, you can just call me Sam. I like that better than Mr. Sam, but if it makes you feel better, that's okay too. I'm doing it because I like your brother, Danny, and I'm one of his teachers at the school he goes to, and it's the same one I hope you'll go to too. I teach a small group class called human development. The group is called a cohort, and I'm called a Tatar – that's short for facilitator." Susan crinkled her face when she heard 'Tatar' and 'facilitator', and Sam added, 'I lead that small fifth-grade class.' You'll have a cohort, or group, in your grade, too. I know your Tatar, and she's really nice." 

We arrived at Seaport Village, a kind of pier on San Diego Bay, with several restaurants. Because it was Sunday, Clair said that it was busier than usual. The receptionist gave Sam a little pancake-shaped thing with a light in the middle. It was supposed to ring and light up when they had a big table for us. We walked around the restaurant on a bridge-like walkway. It was the first time I had been there, and I was as amazed as Suzan was. Jacque and Mom stayed back from the railing for fear of falling into the bay or something. There was a humongous ship across the bay, and Sam told us it was an aircraft carrier. I had read about navy ships in a book back in Flowers, but I never thought I'd ever see any of them. The bay was a fantastic place. Sam's little pancake gadget went off, and we stumbled into the restaurant. Clair very kindly described the various seafood dishes to us. The only one that we knew anything about was catfish, so all four of us ordered catfish and French fries.

After eating, we  were joined by Gary, Ella's dad and headed out to the 'new' apartment. Gary, told Mom and us kids we could stay with his family for the first night in California if they preferred. Mom looked at me, and I said, "I'm sure we will be okay in the apartment. Clair said that she and her friend had purchased silverware, dishes, sheets, blankets, and everything they thought they would need to set up housekeeping. But thank you very much." Gary nodded okay. Ella said she would get off the tram at our stop and walk with us in the morning.

Mom seemed to get weaker as the day went on. Clair urged her to go with her to the doctor in the morning, and Mom reluctantly muttered that she would. After we went into the apartment, and mom saw the new wide-screen TV, she showed the most emotion since she had first arrived and saw me. She seemed to be okay with sharing the bedroom with me, and we all went to bed early. I felt more relaxed than at any time since I left Flowers, or maybe ever. 

In the morning, after breakfast, I called Bubba Watson in San Antonio. I told him about what happened to Ratso, and he said, "Just what the bastard deserved. Damn him." I told him about how the FBI had handled the raid on the house in Flowers, and he replied, "That's the best damn thing I've ever heard about that bunch." I asked him how he was doing, and he said he was a lot better and that his daughter in Denver had invited him to stay with her family for a while. That lifted his spirits, he said.

Ella and her five-year-old sister, Angie, came to the apartment at the same time Clair arrived to take Mom to an urgent care clinic. That was helpful because Jacque said she had to stay with her mommy, and Clair kindly insisted that mom needed to see the doctor alone, and she would take good care of her mommy. Mom kept unconvincingly insisting that Jacque go to school.  I think Jacque was intrigued to find Angie, her exact same size, also going to school with us. Susan, three years older, was a bit scared but was glad that Ella was going with us. Ella took Angie's hand, and Gary took Susan's hand, and I took Jacque's. Seeing Ella's dad joining in the celebration made me think of Ratso. He would condemn Gary as a homo sissy. I didn't have any idea what a 'homo' was, but I knew it was someone horrible.  Both girls seemed puzzled by the, for them, humongous mixed-age, mixed-ethnicity group gathered at the playground. Susan softly said to me, "This is the school, isn't it? It is so weird." 

The pleasant girl's voice began to address them on the loudspeaker, "Welcome, all you wonderful imagineers, to our second week of classes. This week, our music will be provided by the Sophomore class's Yodelers. We were serenaded with some hip-hop music I'd never heard before, and everyone, including Ella's dad, started jumping and singing. I took Susan's hand, and she took Jacque's, and Jacque took Ella's. I was so glad to see both girls, especially Jacque, begin to enjoy themselves and emerge from their cocoons. I'd have to tell Ella how helpful it was to me to hear that we all needed to be like the butterfly that emerges from a cocoon.

When the singing and dancing stopped, Gary and Angie took Jacque's hands and headed to the kindergarten room. I was surprised that Jacque let them and even smiled a little. Ella and I took Susan's hand, and she gave us a big smile. We were joined by another second-grade girl who would be her guide for the week, as Ella had been my guide last week. Susan said to me, "Wow, Danny, this sure is different from Flowers, and I already like it a hundred times better. Even Jacque began to like the new school. Ella and her family were really helpful. I couldn't think of any family in Flowers that we had gotten to know well enough so that we could ask them to help us.

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Twelve

DANNY

Sam encouraged me to attend school on Thursday because, he said, I needed to be around warm and caring people.  When he said, I thought of my Mississippi school and couldn't think of a single person who I'd say was a 'warm and caring' person. Staying at the O’Connell’s empty house and moping around all day wouldn’t be good for me for sure. He’s right, of course, so I half-heartedly agreed. He had given me a little book with hundreds of positive sayings from wise old people, and one suggestion was not to dwell on what might happen in the near or distant future, but to enjoy the positive things we find around us. This helped me appreciate the song-and-dance opening of the school day and the new Thursday class on human health. I told Ella that I would like to talk to her about my family sometime that day. Again, we were joined by our big brother and sister. I didn’t know Jack Sanchez well enough yet to tell him about my woeful bunch in Mississippi. And I didn't mean school.

On Thursday after school, Ella and I took the same tram toward home, and I got off the thing a couple of blocks early, at Ella’s stop. After saying hi to her mom, Ella and I got our iced tea and went into their beautifully landscaped backyard. If the Haloran’s home were in Flowers, Mississippi, it would be by far the most beautiful and expensive one in the town. Of course, that wouldn’t be saying much because some outsiders called Flowers a ‘shanty town.’ Our house, or I should say, Ratso’s house, that we lived in because I once heard him tell Mom that she sure-as-hell wasn’t on the title. The damn thing needed painting, but was still probably the most expensive and largest house in town. 

Ella directed us to two redwood chairs with cushions and facing each other. “So, Danny, please tell me about your family, and I’m guessing it is what has been making you nervous all day.” She looked totally interested in me and what I was going to tell her.

I took a deep breath, took a sip of my tea, “Yes, it does. You know already that I did run away from home and my family in Mississippi, right?” She nodded, and I continued, “I knew I could not do anything to help mom and my sisters if I stayed there, but I keep worrying about them.” I told her about our attempt to escape by bus to Memphis, and Mom getting so beaten up by Ratso that she had to go to the hospital for two weeks, and I had to stay home from school for three months and take care of her, and flunking that grade in school. I told her that I had told Sam about my situation, and somewhere along the telling, I started crying, not bawling, like when I told Clair and Sam, but I had been pretty sure I wouldn’t cry when I told Ella. I think her crying kinda turned on my tears too, and at the same time, helped me be okay with my tears.

“Oh, Danny, that is so awful.” She started to put her hand out to me, but took it back when I leaned away from her. “And what is happening now, and why are you telling me now? Oh, I mean, why now, and thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. And like if we were in our cohort, everything is confidential.”

41

“I’m telling you now, becuz I need somebody to talk to about this besides Clair and Sam. Clair is my social worker – she’s the first person I talked to about all this, here in California. Now, I mean today, back in Mississippi, two FBI agents are planning to rescue my mom and little sisters from our asshole of a dad. Sam says asshole is too nice a word for him, and he suggested we call him a rattlesnake. I shortened it to Ratso. Anyway, if everything goes well, mom and the girls will be out of the house by Saturday morning. I believe they are going to come to California. At least I hope so. And Clair is going to try to find a place for them to live, and I hope Mom can find a good counselor, and maybe the girls can come to our school. Sam says that you can tell your folks if you are sure they can keep it all secret for now. Oh, and maybe they can help Clair find a place for us.” I took a deep breath and let out a long, slow breath.

“Danny, could you maybe stay for dinner and then tell my mom and dad about your family?” She sounded so kind and sincere. She said, "It is already dinner time at both places, so you'd better check." Ella checked with her mom, and her mom said it was ‘A-Okay’ for me to stay for dinner. I called Cheryl O’Connell, and she said that was fine with her. I told Ella that her sister Angie, age five, should not hear my story because she could tell others. I added that my youngest sister, Jacque, is also five, and she tells everyone, everything, and really does not understand confidentiality. So, Ella decided she would do something with Angie while I talked to her parents. They were as empathetic as Ella was when I told them about my family.  I learned why Ella was such a kind and warm person. They even volunteered to have the family stay with them if necessary when they arrived in California. Gary, the dad, who was also a computer software and artificial intelligence expert, volunteered to do any internet exploring we might need. So far, I am really impressed with the helpfulness of the folks here in California. 

When I got home to O’Connell’s, after their young children went to bed, I told Dennis and Cheryl my story and the absolute need that we keep it confidential for now. They, too, were compassionate and saddened by our plight. I went to bed feeling far more relaxed than I did the night before.

On Friday, again, I was only half present when I got to school. Ella joined me at the morning song-and-dance party, and her dad, Gary, joined us and seemed to enjoy the celebration. And it really was like a celebration – like we were all singing and dancing and celebrating life together. I never could have imagined starting any day with a celebration before. I told Ella this, and she hugged me, and it embarrassed the hell outta me, but I have to admit, I really liked it.

42

Again, Sam asked me to join him after classes, and he filled me in on the FBI team’s plan to rescue Mom and the girls. He thanked me again for my excellent description of how Friday evening would likely unfold in the town of Flowers. He said that nothing would be happening in Flowers until about 7 or 8 our Pacific time. And that I should go home, and he’d call me as soon as he heard from the FBI agents. So I went to O’Connell’s, ate dinner, and waited anxiously.

I was in the TV room when Sam called. “Well, Danny, my boy, there was quite a happening in Flowers, Mississippi, this evening. First and most important, Ratso is dead.” 

I couldn’t hold it back, I yelled, “Wow.” Then, “Thank you, thank you.”

Sam gave me a blow-by-blow description of what happened and how important it had been to expect to find the ‘guards’ there. When he told me that Ratso accidentally shot himself and then fell down the stairs, I said, “That is so right on - after he used the stairs to almost kill Mom three or four times and me, once. Finally, falling down the stairs has become something useful, instead of deadly for good people.” 

Saturday morning, Clair called to tell me that Mr. Gary Haloran, Ella’s dad, had found a two-bedroom apartment for my family. She asked me to give him a call if I wanted to go take a look to see if  I thought it was suitable for us. She said, “So, Danny, go with Mr. Haloran and take a look at the apartment and call me asap. If it looks okay, I’ll sign a lease for you and your family. Sam would like you to join us when we go to meet your family at the train station on Sunday morning. How’s that?“

“That is so terrific! Thank you so much. 

Clair met Ella, Gary, and me at a three-story apartment building about a mile from both the Halorans and the O’Connell’s. It was a relatively new building that looked like it had about 30 or so apartments. I knew it was unrealistic, but I kinda dreamt of having a nice house to live in. I did not tell anyone about that. This building had a white-painted stucco exterior with bright green trim around the windows and doors, and it faced west. The living room and kitchen-dining area were one room and looked nice, and best of all, they were furnished with nice furniture. The two bedrooms were small, and I guessed I would be the one who slept on the couch. It was all clean and smelled good – unlike the old Lee house in Flowers. The worst part of it was, it had stairs, in fact it has two sets of stairs and I hated stairs and I am sure mom did too. And, I thought, Mom couldn’t go up and down more than two or three stairs. 

43

I asked Clair if she knew of any one-story apartments, and she said yes, but they were much older. I said, “That is okay as long as it is clean and is furnished.” I then told her about our hatred of the stairs in our house in Mississippi and about Mom’s inability to manage them. She said she hadn’t thought of that, but could understand it. She drove only a few more blocks to an older and poorer neighborhood that had a bunch of former army barracks that had been turned into what Clair called ‘triplexes. Most of them had recently been painted and looked like the landscapes had been kept up to date. We stopped at the apartment furthest from the street, and Ella and her dad parked next to us. The apartment was laid out like the three-storied one and had clean furniture and, best of all, the larger bedroom had twin beds. Maybe Mom and I could share that bedroom. I told Clair that I was sure it would be the best choice, because it was only three blocks from Two Thousand School. We could walk there.   

Don Hanley' 63rd Christmas Dream

✨–Enhanced by Dr. AI Seuss 🎄

I’m dreaming of Christmas all sparkly and bright,
With kindness that twinkles like stars in the night.
With joy that goes dancing and laughter that sings,
The way Jesus showed us in wonderful things.

I’m dreaming of Christmas all glowing with knowing,
Where love is the power that sets us all flowing.
It zips through the world like a warm, happy breeze,
Bringing peace to the mountains and calm to the seas.

And we—yes, we!—every Who, me and you, Stick tight as toy soldiers or peppermint glue.

We care for the Earth with a heart and a will,
To guard it, protect it, and cherish it still.

For Jesus once taught—by his life and his call—
That love is a gift meant for one and for all.

So this Christmas of light, in the glow from above,

We know what to do…

Merry Christmas with love! 🎄✨

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Eleven

SAM

We sat down near the whiteboard, and I said, "Well, Danny, our team is really working hard. First, there is good news and bad news concerning your favorite chauffeur, Bubba Wilson. First, the bad news: your Ratso found him in San Antonio, Texas, and beat the hell out of him and left him for dead after he told Ratso that he had given you a ride to El Paso, Texas."

Danny was as shocked as I expected, and he showed it, shaking all over. He started crying and, through his tears, told me that he talked a lot to Bubba and had told him all about his family and about Ratso. He said that now he felt responsible for him being in the hospital. He said, "I really like Bubba, he is about the kindest old man I've ever met. And how is he now?"

He's had several operations at the hospital in San Antonio. Did you notice I said he told Ratso he took you as far as El Paso? I nodded. Remember Helen and Marty, the FBI agents? I nodded again. Well, they flew to San Antonio to talk to Bubba and found out he realized the boy Ratso was after was you. Bubba looked so damn mean and spoke like he didn't want to tell him anything. But Ratso figured out Bubba knew more than he was letting on, so he started beating on him. Bubba didn't want to admit he'd dropped you off in San Diego, so he lied and said you'd gotten off in El Paso so you could go north to Albuquerque or maybe Denver. I'm guessing Ratso's been all over the West trying to find you.

It all sounded like bad news to Danny, and he said he didn't think Ratso would go to all that trouble to find him. He mentioned that he hadn't told anyone anything except Bubba, and now look what happened to him. He was glad that he had lied about where he dropped him off and that he had never sent any mail back to Flowers.

"The good news is that Helen and Marty have gotten a warrant for Ratso's arrest for assault and attempted murder of Bubba Wilson. Before, we did not have the kind of evidence that we could have used in court to arrest him. He must be kept in jail so we can get your mom and sisters out of that damn house and town. Now, isn't that good news?" Danny nodded. "Now they'll need your help getting Ratso arrested peacefully – and getting your mom and the girls away from there. I'm going to set up a Zoom call with Helen, Marty, Clair, and you. We need to do it soon because the doctor taking care of Bubba says he was at death's door when he first came into the hospital, and his condition is still listed as critical. Do you want to sit here with me when we get them or wait until you get home?"

37

"I'll stay here, I can take the tram any time. I'll call Cheryl and tell her I'll be a bit late, OK?"

It took me about half an hour to get the three others online, and while I was doing this, I heard Danny talk with Bubba in San Antonio. The call must have moved Bubba, as Danny was crying again when he said, "Bubba, man, I didn't want to make you cry. I'm really, really happy that you recognized my asshole dad and lied for me." He listened to the old man for a few minutes and ended with. "I do hope that you keep healing and getting better. Ok if I call you again?" I guess Bubba said yes, and Danny said, "Good, I gotta go now before a meeting with some good people who are helping me. Have a good evening, Bubba."

Danny and I looked at Marty, Helen, and Clair, and I said, "As you see, I have Danny here with me. Now, let's ask Danny what the best way is to protect his family while we arrest Ratso. Ratso is a name Danny and I came up with when I said that 'asshole' was too good a word for him. I said rattlesnake because I hate those poison bastards, so now we call him Ratso. So I think this needs to get done soon, given Bubba's critical condition and before Ratso finds out where Danny is. Oh, while we still have you two, Helen and Marty, on board. I asked Danny to tell us a little about his Ratso, so Danny..."

Danny said, "This Friday, I know it is the first home football game of the year, and that is one time when there are a bunch of strangers in town. That might help hide you if you dress like everyday kind of people and not like TV kind of black-suited FBI people."

Both Helen and Marty laughed and asked, "Where do we find Ratso on a Friday night?"

"He'll usually be driving around the school and stadium. We do call the football field and the little bunch of bleachers the 'stadium'. And sometimes he'll get outta his car and walk around to make sure nobody is causing any trouble. Everybody knows he'll arrest anybody at the drop of a hat."

Helen asked, "And will your mom be home and taking care of the girls? Oh, and what are their names and ages?

"Mom's name is Marge, and she's about 26 or 27 – that's about twenty years younger than Ratso. I heard him say to a fellow one time, 'You gotta get 'em young and then ya can raise 'em right.'" All four of us frowned. It wasn't funny, and we could tell Danny didn't think so either. "Jaque is five and Susie is 8. Since we were caught trying to escape to Memphis a year and a half ago, Susie and I have been taking care of Mom more than the other way around. I guess Susie is probably doing it by herself. Since that time and the bad beating she took from Ratso, Mom trudges around the house like a zombie. She's a good cook – at least when Ratso buys groceries that she can cook. She's a good housekeeper even when she's moving around like a zombie. Oh, Ratso doesn't want anyone running away again, so he tells the school that Mom is homeschooling us. Of course, mom can't school nobody."

We all paused for a few minutes because Danny was having a good cry. I really love this boy, and I could tell that all three of our team members were beginning to love him, too. Marty asked, "Danny, do you think your mom could testify in court about the abuse she endured at the hands of Ratso?"

"If she could be in a safe and healthy place for a while, I think she could. I'm damn sure that I can. Oh, yeah, another thing. I think he will have one of his thugs, he's got two I think, kind of guarding the house and the family when he's going to be outta the house for a while, so I bet one of 'em will be there. And he'll have a gun, so we all were almost as afraid of them as we are of Ratso."

"Do you know where they live?" Marty asked.

"I'm pretty sure they live in an old cabin about a mile from town. Our house is just outside of town, about a quarter of a mile. It's kinda hidden by the trees and brush."

"So, a couple of our agents could sneak up on your family's house?" Danny nodded. "And what about your mom and sisters? If we got there and didn't see the guards, how do you think they would react when we went into the house?"

"I really am afraid Mom has been beaten again for letting me run away. I don't know whether the guards have ever killed anyone, but if Ratso told them to, I bet they would. I heard him often yell at them like, "Do that or I'll throw your ass in jail. He has something on each one of 'em."

"So, you're saying they, whoever is there in the house besides your mom and the girls, is armed and dangerous. Right?"

"Yeah."

"And one last question, Danny, you are sure your mom could not leave the house even if Ratso weren't there, is that right?" Danny grunted another 'yeah.' Marty shrugged and said, "Well, Helen, it looks like we're going to need several agents to help us. Do you think the New Orleans field office will help us?"

"I hope so. One of us needs to call as soon as we hang up here. Now we need to find a place for Mom and the girls. Danny, does your mom have any friends or family to stay with until we find a permanent place?"

37

Danny looked puzzled and thought for a minute, then said, "Nope, Ratso pretty well kept her locked up. I don't know whether she has any relatives anywhere. Could we get them to come to California? Jacque and Susan would really love the school, and Mom would want to get as far away from Mississippi as possible." He looked at Clair and then Helen.

 Clair looked at me and said, "Sam, if I could find a place for them, could the school find room for them?"

"We don't like to go over 240 students, but one more kindergartner and one second or third grader, I think we could handle. It would be great if we could find an apartment in this area. Let's do it! Do you have the time, Clair?"  

"No, but I'll find a place. Let's all send Danny's family and everyone some CEUS."

Danny looked at Clair and asked, "What's CEU?"

Clair smiled, "Einstein said the force of love ties everything together, and I call it Celestial Energy Units. My mom calls it prayer. Anyway, we're going to need all the help we can get. Thanks, Sam, for being our coordinator."

I told Danny he could tell Ella about his family back in Mississippi and ask her to tell only her mom and dad, and ask them to keep it confidential. He added that they could help us find a more permanent place for them to live in this area. I left him in the room and went to talk to the principal. Clair told me that she knew a realtor who worked only with low-income families. And she was sure the two teachers would find room for them. I called Danny in the other building and told him what the principal said, and asked him what he thought would be the best grade to start Susan in. He said that he thought the second would be better than the third because of her trauma; she needs to do homework, of any kind. Take a back east. I agreed. 

Back in the room, I asked Danny to do some homework, then went to the corner cabinet and started on my own. An hour later, Marty called from Biloxi, Mississippi, and said he now had three FBI agents joining them, and that he'd call Danny if he needed more information about the layout in Mississippi. I told Danny to go on home to the O'Connell's. 

I was even more on edge than Danny, but he managed to keep his feelings to himself. I had an earpiece firmly in my ear, and about ten o'clock, Mississippi time, I heard Helen whisper, "We managed to hack into the phones of the deputy's guards. One called our man, Ratso, and told him someone was prowling around his house. We are going to take him out." I hoped they could do it quickly and non-lethally. I was holding my breath, and I couldn't remember the last time I automatically did that.  

38

About a half hour later, Helen came online and whispered, "Both of the guards are tasered and tied up, we're going to wait upstairs with mom and the girls." I think I heard a gunshot. I waited in anxious silence. I don't know how long I waited until Helen came back on. "Damn,  Sam, you still there?"

I exhaled rather loudly, "Yes, and are all of you?"

"Yes, all of the 'we' are alive, but Ratso is not. Did you hear the gunshots?" I muttered a 'yes' and she went on, "That was Ratso's gun and our tasers. As soon as he saw us, he raised his gun, and our New Orleans guy fired his taser. Ratso shot himself in the neck as he fell to his left and then down the stairs. He's dead." She lowered her voice to say, "Thank god. Betty, another New Orleans agent, is tending to Mom and the girls. They are all crying up a storm. Not because Ratso is dead, I think, but out of nervousness and fear, I believe. Has Clair found a place for them there?

"She told me to have you put them on the high-speed train and send them to San Diego, and she would have a place ready for them by the time they get here. Give them, Mom, and the older girl cell phones, if they don't have them, and give me the time when they will arrive. We'll be ready. And thank you for a job well done. Thank you, thank you." I took a deep breath and exhaled for a long time. 

Sometime Saturday morning, Helen called to tell me that she was going to escort the little family to California that evening, and they would arrive in San Diego at 11:00 a.m. Sunday. She added, "I talked to the captain of the Mississippi state police, and he sent two of his agents from Jackson down to Flowers and has them take care of things. Flowers is a helluva name for this forlorn little old burg. It would make our little town of Julian look like a modern metropolis. The state police consist of a grumpy old fellow and a much younger woman who seems to have a brain and a heart. She is easy to talk to and takes our word for what happened. The old guy thinks they should investigate a possible homicide. The sensible one, a female, of course, tells me they call you all in Cal people, 'Californicators'. I told her to tell her that we call them 'Mississhitians'. I smiled at my own humor. The smile felt good.

Helen went on, "Oh, Sam, Marge, and Danny's mom is in terrible shape. I guess she is about 28 years old, and her poor, beaten-up body looks like that of a poor, beaten-up little girl, and her face like a tired and bruised old woman. She shuffles along with a limp and is in obvious pain. She needs to go to a hospital, but I don't think we should take the time. Please make arrangements for her to go to the emergency room as soon as we arrive. I'll see you Sunday. And that makes the trip more bearable. Take care, Sam. I'll see you soon."