School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Seventeen

DANNY

It is the third month of the school year, and I can’t remember ever enjoying school so much or being as busy as I am now. Today, after regular hours, I had my fourth band practice, and I think I was almost as good with the guitar as Ella and a guy from the other 5^th-grade cohort. I worked at our school for 5 hours on Saturday, 1 day a week. Three other students worked with the regular gardeners and me. I think being amiable and liking kids is a job requirement, as the two men and one woman are fun to work with, and we get a lot done, and the place really looks good. 

I took the tram home. I could walk, but I’m a bit tired, and I liked the ride. At first, I thought I was the only student on the tram, and then I saw Ella toward the back. I headed for the seat next to her, and she seemed glad to see me. The tram stopped after a few blocks, and three guys who looked about two years older than me got on. They looked around, and when they saw us, they headed our way. One was as white as I, and the two others looked younger and were a bit darker. The very white one seemed to be the leader and had a mean look on his face, and reminded me of Ratso. I had never seen them before. The tram is electric and self-driving, but a driver is in the regular driver’s seat, keeping an eye on the trio. They stood near our seat - the last seat facing the front of the tram, other than the very back seat. There were five seats on each side of the tram facing each other, and no one was sitting on either side.

The mean-looking one said, “Hey, you’re one of the sissies from the sissy school, ain’t cha?”

I hadn’t heard that threatening talk since I‘d left Mississippi, and I must admit that I was afraid I might have to protect myself and Ella. I had a few fights back in Flowers, and I think I did well. Ratso had taught me how to handle myself in a fight, and I felt that the nine or so classes in aikido would be more useful if I needed to use them.  I never had to use what I had learned. I hoped I could talk this guy down and avoid a fight. I put on a smile and said, “I don’t know what you mean by ‘sissy,’ but I don’t want to fight anyone. And I do go to Two Thousand Smiles. I’m Danny Sheridan, and you are?”

“Two Thousand Smiles?  What a dumb-ass name. I hear everyone there is a sissy, and you sure look like one. Do all the kids there talk funny like you? And where’d ya learn ta talk like that?” I glanced at Ella, and she had put on a blank face, and I thought she was a bit afraid.

I worked to sound as calm and easy-going as I could, “No, they don’t talk like me. I moved here from Mississippi this past summer. Were you born here in California?” I looked at Meany’s companions, and they just kept their blank look. They didn’t look dangerous, but I think they would do whatever Meany told them to do. 

“What da you care?”

“I guess for the same reason you asked me my name. I think you’d like our school and everyone there. It’s a friendly and helpful place. Now I’m wondering why you don’t enroll there and give it a try. Does the name, Two Thousand Smiles, turn you off?”

 I guess he didn’t like the question because he ignored my question and bumped my head quite hard with his fist as he reached past me and grabbed Ella’s chin and turned her head toward himself with one hand and grabbed her breast with the other.

“Don’t touch me, asshole,” Ella yelled and managed to push one of his hands away.     

Everything about Meany reminded me of Ratso. I jumped up, grabbed both of the asshole’s wrists, even though he was about half a foot taller and twenty pounds heavier than me. The aikido coach taught us to use our opponents’ force against them, so I quickly tightened my hold on both of Meany’s wrists and literally threw him down to the floor. I followed him and rode him to the floor in the wide aisle between the side-facing seats.  I knelt on his back and bashed his face on the rough rubber floor, and blood poured out of his face. The driver saw what was happening and immediately stomped on the brakes, throwing the two companions forward; they stumbled down the aisle and landed on the bus floor. Kneeling on the back of Meany, I saw the driver talking on his cellphone. The braking force helped me put even more pressure on Meany’s back, blood or not. I grabbed his forearms and held them above his head. And then I slammed them back and down at an angle opposite to the way they were supposed to go. My big, awkward opponent screamed that I was breaking his arms, and I didn’t care whether I did or not.

 When I looked back, I saw Ella kneeling on the back of one of Meany’s lackeys, and the driver was kneeling on the other one. He and Ella had acted fast and kept the two down. The driver pushed on his cell, and a woman rushed into the tram and said, “I’m Anne Janklow from school.” She had something in her hand that looked like a gun and yelled, “What’s going on here?” She glanced at the driver and Ella and then back at me. The driver said, “I’m not sure, but that little fellow back there knocked the biggest guy down before he could hit him. These two fellows fell when I put on the brakes.” 

Anne put handcuffs on the two fellas on the floor and then came back to me as I was still kneeling on Meany’s back. Meany continued to scream that I was breaking his arms, and I continued to act like I was kneeling on Ratso’s back, which I would really like to do. The school’s lady cop told me to let Meany go, and I got off the asshole’s back but kept him down with my hands. He screamed in pain as he turned over and tried to straighten his arms. Anne called for an ambulance and some backup. She asked me to tell her what happened.

 I took a deep breath and stammered, “I’m really not sure, but these three guys got on a few stops back and came down the aisle and stopped here where we were sitting.” I pointed to my seat where Ella was now sitting. “Then this guy,” I motioned toward Meany, “He wanted to know my name. He said I must be a sissy student at the sissy school.  Then we talked a bit. I didn’t want to fight anybody, so I kept talking and even told him my name, but he didn’t tell me his. I told him I think he would like Two Thousand Smiles and asked him why he didn’t enroll there. I guess he didn’t like my question becuz he then leaned past me and pinched Ella’s nose and grabbed at her chest. She pushed one arm away, and he started to take another swing at me. I grabbed both of his wrists and threw him down and held him down.”

Meany blubbered, “Can I get up now, smartass?” I looked up at the policewoman, and she nodded. I got up, then asked the Smiles school cop if she was the plainclothes police officer at our school, and she said yes. I thanked her for her quick response, and she commended me for my quick reaction to taking down the young fellow. She had an earlier incident involving him and hoped this would be the last. The tram driver asked her, the two cops, and the ambulance paramedics to get off the tram so he could get back on schedule. They did, and I went back to my seat next to Ella.

The minute I sat down, Ella took my hand and started crying. Her eyes still seemed to reflect her fear, and she whimpered, “Danny, will you hold me?” I wasn’t sure what she meant, and before I could figure it out, she climbed on my lap and put her arms around me. The only girls I’d ever held were my sisters, but holding Ella was different. It took me a while to relax, and then I  realized I needed to be held, too. It really felt good, and I enjoyed it in a way I had never enjoyed anything in my life. I glanced around and saw that we had gone several blocks past both of our stops.

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Sixteen

SAM

It had been two weeks since the Sherman family moved into the one-story apartment. Fortunately, it is only one story, as Marge is still struggling to walk on crutches. She had suggested and even demanded that the ‘Lee’ part of their last name be deleted, and Jan Hastings helped her navigate the paperwork to make it legal. Marge is still suffering a bit with Stockholm syndrome, in which the captive becomes dependent on the captor.

The only positive outcome of her marriage to Ratso was that it helped both Danny and Susie become somewhat healthier and more independent. Jacqui was still very dependent on her two siblings and her mom.

Betty, the Mississippi FBI agent whom Helen encouraged to keep in touch, had contacted the state social services department and ordered DNA tests for Marge, Robert E. Lee, and Danny. She had a hunch that Lee was not Danny's biological father. She was puzzled that there was no mention or evidence that Ratso had ever laid a hand on either girl. His violence was directly aimed at Marge and Danny. She called back to tell me that she was right, Danny had a different sperm donor. I called Danny to tell him this, and he almost yelled, “Great! I’m glad to know that I don’t have that bastard’s genes!” He then added a bit solemnly, “I wonder whose genes I do have?” I told him to wait a year or so before he asked his mom, as she was still suffering from PTSD.

He asked me what that meant, and I said, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I explained that it was first a diagnosis used for military personnel who had been injured or traumatized in combat. He asked, “Do ya suppose that’s why I get furious when I see somebody, any somebody, hurting someone – even in the movies or on TV?” I said yes and talked to him a bit about how he was handling it. Again, I was happy that he somehow landed in our school, and his sisters had joined us. 

Yesterday, I went to their apartment and visited with Marge and Jan. I was happy to see Marge smiling much more these days. Jan mentioned that Marge was a bit worried she would not be able to attend Ratso’s funeral. Jan had called Betty, and Betty had attended the Southern Baptist church's funeral. The church, the largest in Flower County, was full. The preacher went on and on about what a God-fearing man, Ratso, had been. Betty said she almost vomited. I did too when I heard her report. 

A few days later, Ella Halran’s grandpa, Mark Haloran, visited our cohort, and Ella rushed over to the door, greeted him with a hug, and introduced me to him. I hugged grandpa Mark, and he hugged me back, patted me on the back, and, still holding Ella's hand, said. “And how’s my favorite granddaughter’s new tator?” He looked over the class and waved at everybody. Danny and I were the only ones Mark didn’t know, and he sounded very much at home as he said, “Good morning, all you fellow dummies! It is so good to be back with you all. Sam tells me that you are even more curious about the world we live in than you were last year, and I’m glad to hear it. Your fair city has added another school, Two Thousand Smiles, which will open in January. A few of your fellow students who live closer to that one than to this one may be transferring, and your spirit will go with them and still stay here, too. After all, we are all one with everyone and everything, are we not?” Some nodded, and some looked a bit puzzled, like Danny. Grandpa looked googly-eyed around the assembled fifth graders and asked, “That would be good, wouldn’t it?” He acted like it was a serious question, and everyone laughed. Sam told me that you have a new cohort member from the state of Mississippi. Where is he?” Danny raised his hand, and Grandpa said, “And your name is Danny, right?” Danny smiled and nodded. “So, Danny, is Smiles just like your former school in Mississippi?”

“Oh, sure, just like a pig’s pen is like a king’s mansion.” Danny shook his head and chuckled.

“I’ve corresponded with the Mississippi State School Superintendent about setting up an experimental school there. The Super there sent me a rather condemning letter saying I must be from Hades. I think Hades is a nice word for hell, isn’t it?” Several students nodded. “But I’m happy to tell you that we have started eight more schools in four more states. And you know, there have been no arrests of any students anywhere in our country who were students or graduates of ours? So, we are getting noticed all over the world. The main problem is financial. It takes more money to run our schools than the traditional schools.” 

Chris asked, “Mark, doesn’t the crime reduction save some money for the towns and states?

“Yes, it does, but not enough yet to allow the various governmental agencies to cut down on the police forces and jails. Also, we need more schools in other countries, especially in Latin America and Asia, so that those countries can become more prosperous and less violent. So, keep up studying your Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian language skills so that we can staff other countries.” The question-and-answer period lasted about an hour, and when he left, about half the cohort said they would love to have a grandpa like Mark. 

School of Two Thousand Smiles–Chapter Fifteen

DANNY

I was miffed about having to have Jan Hastings be our babysitter, but I was glad to have her chauffeur us to the hospital. The hospital was in a six-story building and right here in Monte Vista, only a few miles from school and two miles from our apartment. Jan led the way to a regular room where Mom was resting from all the surgeries she had had. Jan said, “Please go in quietly. Maybe go in one at a time. Who wants to go in first?” Both girls raised their hands, and I played the old do-gooder and let them go first. Jan, wisely I thought, chose Jacque. 

Susan and I watched from the open door as Jacque was surprisingly quiet as she crept up to the left side of the bed. She whispered, “Hi, Mommy.” 

“Oh, Jacque, I’m so glad to see you!” Mom did her best to shout, but only groaned a bit as she held out both arms. “Oh, my Jacque, it is so good to see you. Let me hold you.” Jacque moved as close as she could. They both began to cry - out of happiness this time. Mom looked past her five-year-old, saw Susie and me, and waved us in. Susie joined Jacque on the left side of the bed, and I went to her right. I bent over and kissed her on her forehead, and began crying.  I muttered, “Oh, Mom, I’m so glad to see you. It’s been over a whole month, Mom. Can you believe it? Are both legs hurting you?” 

She let her left hand go of Jacque and reached over and took my right hand, and whispered, “Oh, honey, it has been so long, oh, so long. I kinda hurt all over, but my left leg is the only one in a cast. Do you remember that ace bandage cast you put around that leg?” I nodded, and she went on. She squeezed my hand softly. “I didn’t mention it to anyone before we left Flowers. There wasn’t time. The doctor here said, ‘Who in hell did this to your poor leg? I said, ‘My son. He’s twelve.’ The doctor then said, ‘Well, he did save your leg, but I’m going to have to re-break your leg so it will heal properly. We’ll give you a general anesthetic, so you won’t feel any pain until you wake up. So, thank you, son, for saving my leg. You are a wonderful son. I want you to know that.” I cried some more.  Damnit, I hate being a crybaby.   

Jan came into the room and introduced herself. “Hi, Mrs. Sherman-Lee. I’m Jan Hastings, and I’ve been asked to be your family’s helper, all day, every day, for a while. Please call me Jan, and may I call you Marge?” Mom looked so worried, and I didn’t know what to tell her about our money problems. Jan helped me out.  

“Oh, yes. And Jan, we don’t have any money to pay for your help. I don’t have a living cent. I’m so sorry. I’m sure I’m gonna need all the help I can get. Oh my. My Danny and Susie are very helpful, but oh my, I feel so helpless.” 

52 

“Please don’t worry, Marge, the county will pay me to be helpful to you. That’s why we pay taxes, you know?” 

Mom continued to look worried and said in her weak, old lady voice, “But, honey, I don’t pay any taxes. I’ve never paid taxes anywhere, not even in Mississippi. My Bobby, said I was a worthless little…” She put a hand over her mouth and muttered, “…bitch.” and tried to smile. She added, “And, honey, please don’t call me Sherman-Lee. Just Sherman, I hate having Lee added to my name.

Jacque interrupted them, “Mommy, when can you come home? We got a nice new home for you. When can you see it? When, Mommy, when?” Susie tried to shush her, but Jacque continued her questioning. I was told that that was so typical of five-year-olds.

Mom finally told her, “Mommy is still feeling a lot of pain, sweetheart, and I’ll come home as soon as the doctor tells me it is okay, and I can walk again. Will you come visit me every day until I can come home?” Jacque nodded vigorously, and Marge turned toward Susan and asked, “How do you like your new school?”

“I really like it. I have a new friend named Angie. She has a big sister, just like me, named Ella, and she helps her little sister, Angie, just like Susie and Danny help me. Ella is in Danny’s grade, and she really likes Danny a lot.” I kinda liked hearing Jacque say Ella likes me. I already knew it, but it was nice hearing it. “Mommies and daddies were helping the teacher all day long. They were as nice as the teacher.” She seemed to be quite proud of herself as she said, “Their names are Teri, the teacher, Vivian, the mom helper, and Chico, the daddy helper.” 

Susan told Mom about her second-grade class and about her cohort and tator, Marie. “And mom, you know everybody likes my Mississippi accent. They call it my Southern drawl. The cohort class is two hours long, and they wanted to know all about my life in Flowers. They even clapped when I finished talking about the FBI in our house and everything. Oh, and one of the students said that my dad sounded like a real ‘asshole’, and the tator and nobody else said anything about me calling daddy an ' a-word’. In my old school, that student would have been sent to the principal’s office.” She smiled, and I thought that if the tator had interrupted Susie’s story, it would have missed what was really important. I was liking our school more every day.”

Mom really looked worried when she said, “Oh, honey, you shouldn’t have told them all about our family like that.”

“Miss Marie said that it was okay and reminded everyone that what was said in our cohort group is con-fee-dent-shel and that we must not tell anyone about another student’s family or story. Two other kids shared secrets about their families, and it was sad, too. I think our family is really brave and good. Everybody thinks you and Danny are really brave.” Susie looked over at me and nodded. I hope she remembers saying that the next time we’re arguing. Mom began to look kinda relaxed, and she softly said, “I guess if you are all happy with school, that’s fine. Miss Jan, are the children being cooperative with you?” Jan said, “Yes, Marge, I just hope they would relax around me a bit more. They’ll be laughing and playing around, and then when I come in the room, they’ll go quiet. Like they’ve been doing something wrong. I really enjoy their laughter. When we leave here, we’re going grocery shopping. Do you have any recommendations?”

52

“Just ask Danny and Susan, oh, and mac and cheese is always a winner.” Mom looked like she had to fight to stay awake, so we promised to see her tomorrow afternoon, after school. I was surprised that both Susie and I were more than a little bewildered about what kind of food we should get for all of us. Ratso always did the grocery shopping, and it included lots of soup and hamburger meat. If mom didn’t like whatever it was and complained, he would slap her hard, sometimes even knocking her down. So, we didn’t know much as we followed Jan to the grocery store.

The next day, Tuesday, Jan walked with us to school, and Suzie’s guide met her before the morning jamboree. It was so good that the school planners seemed to think about almost everything to help students feel safe and in good spirits. I hoped to meet Ella’s grandpa, Mark Haloran, someday soon. 

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 when 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 that 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 capable of becoming very enlightened and loving, and that several religions have beliefs and practices that promote 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.