The Ones Who Got Away (8 page)

Stupid. Sissy. Retard” Matthew yelled with every kick to Jeremy‘s chest. Then, he bent over and whispered in Jeremy‘s ear harshly “You stay away from her, you hear me or you‘ll end up worse than JJ.”

***

“That boys laughing by the side. That pictures us. Our revenge on Matthew if we had been stronger.” Joshua said, his tone bitter.

“So you don’t act on these artistic visions. You just draw them out?” I raised eyebrows, trying to comprehend this guy’s way of thinking. But looking at his scrawny build, I guess it was hard to stand up to rugby players like Matthew.

“Right.”

“What did Matthew want Jeremy to stay away from?”

“His girlfriend, Elena. In the music room, he jumped her.”

“Like sexually?” I asked incredulously. This was not the Jeremy I knew.

“Jeremy was the nicest guy on Earth.” Joshua admitted.  “But in the end, I guess he was still a guy.”

***

Elena. Ten years ago she was a high school cheerleader, cheering on her boyfriend. Ten years later, she owns a dry cleaners that is almost running out of business downtown, divorced with three kids while her husband ran off with their nanny. I walked in the dry cleaners, my satin blouse in hand. My excuse to talk to her. I succeeded. At the mention of Jeremy, she resisted to talk about him but after some persuasion and a handful of bank notes, she complied.

“I heard there was an incident. In the music room?” I asked.

“Right.”

“How did it happened?”

“It was after school. Jeremy came in, started kissing me and wouldn’t stop. Then my boyfriend Matt walked in. Luckily.” Elena told her story it a little too smoothly.

“You must have told the story a lot.”

“Yeah.” Elena replied flatly.

“And Matt gave Jeremy a beating for that. Your idea?”

“It was the only thing Matt did that my parents approved of.” Elena said, with a sad smile

“Your parents didn’t like him?”

“My mother’s hobby was to collect books about manners. Matt’s hobby was saying how far he could spit.”

“He was your rebellion.” I smiled. This time, an understanding one. I had been through that phase before. I guess all girls have.

“Beauty and the beast. Every girl tries it once.”

“When Matt confronted Jeremy at the tracks, did he have a fallout?”

“When Matt went after Jeremy, my parents went after his mum.” Elena said grimly.

***

Jeremy and his mother came over to Elena’s house for a little ‘negotiation’. They wanted to settle the matter privately. Without involving the cops and lawyers and trips to the court as it would waste time, money and tears. Especially for Jeremy’s mother who was struggling to make ends meet.

“Jeremy’s father wasn’t able to make it?” Mr. Michaelson asked, looking at the duo sitting across his coffee table.

“He’s not part of Jeremy’s life.” Jeremy’s mother replied.

“I can change that with law suits against both of you for what your son did to Elena.”

“Jeremy is terribly sorry for what happened. So am I.”

“Not to mention, the criminal investigations.”

“Dad,” Elena warned. She could not understand why her dad was being so mean. Most of all she could not stand it.

“Jeremy isn’t dangerous. If he misunderstood…” Megan continued

“We can’t risk his misunderstandings.” Elena’s father backfired.

“Well, you said you wanted to discuss options. Why don’t we do that,” Megan tried again in a softer tone. You cannot fight fire with fire. When one side was blazing with anger, the other has to be soothing and give in to extinguish the flame.

“My family has thought it over. We would like Jeremy to leave the school.” Mr. Michaelson said in a don’t-mess-with-me tone.

“It would be the best for him. Another school where there are kids more like himself.” Elena’s mom finally spoke up.

“I don’t have the money.”

“Maybe a home or hospital, whatever you do with…” Michaelson motioned at Jeremy. During the whole conversation, Jeremy’s head hung low. He knew they were here because of him. He did something wrong and it was all his fault.

“No, we do fine, Jeremy and me.” Megan said firmly.

“Not if your boy can’t keep up…”

“We do fine!” Megan said firmer this time. Gone was her tolerance and patience with this man.

“Ms. Miller, pull Jeremy out of the school or we’ll go forward. Civil and criminal.”

“Jeremy, honey, we’re leaving.” Megan said, pulling her son with her but he broke away from her and stood still, facing Elena.

“I’m sorry.” Jeremy said, really meaning it. “You can have JJ if you want.” and he handed Elena his teddy. The one he could not live without. His heart. But he did not mind if Elena took it. His heart was already hers to keep.

***

“He was gone by the next Monday. Never heard from him again.” Elena said sadly. I detected a tinge of regret.

“Sounds like you weren’t a hundred percent behind your parents’ decision.”

“No. Or the beat down.”

“You don’t think Matt hitting Jeremy did any good?”
 

“I know it made Matt feel good. I‘m not even sure Jeremy even knew what he was doing, really. But I know Matt did.”

***

“He tried to rape my girlfriend. He needed a lesson. I figured a guy like that, getting physical was the only way he‘s gonna learn.” Matthew said with a huff. He was not on the brightest side of life either. Part-time plumber, full-time slugger. I could not believe he was once a rugby captain with all those fat poking out from his shirt.

“This little school of yours, it only had one session?” I asked.

“Are you asking about how he died, now?”

“Yeah and if you killed him.” I said bluntly. A man like this, he would not understand if I wrapped up my words with a ribbon on top. I had to be straight forward.

“Get real.”

“You got a temper, he gave you a reason.” I reasoned.

“What I gave him, he had it coming. But what came after, that was screwed up.” Matthew said, shaking his head.

***

After the round of beating was over, Matthew was on the way to the field with his friends and laugh about Jeremy over some beer. But he had dropped his wallet along the way and was returning to the scene to retrieve it. That was when he witnessed something that he could not believe.

“You stupid. Sissy. Retard” Joshua yelled with every kick to Jeremy who was already bent over. Blood dripping from Jeremy’s head where he had scraped the train tracks and surely horrendous blue-black bruises all over his body.

“It’s ok Joshua. I made you tired. I made my mom tired. I’m gonna stay with my dad while she stays at the hospital to get some rest.” Words escaping Jeremy’s bleeding lips.

“She’s not tired. She’s sick. She’s gonna die.” Joshua spat out every word with venom.

“No!!” Jeremy shook his head. Not wanting to believe Joshua.

“And your dad, he’s not gonna save you. I bet he hates you because you are too stupid to live. Maybe I’ll just put you out of your misery.” Joshua said and shoved Jeremy down. The beating went on. But by then, Matt had already fled. Trying to digest what just happened. I swallowed a lump in my throat as I try to digest what went on between Jeremy and Joshua.

***

“Thought you were Jeremy’s best friend.” I said, shooting laser beams at Joshua with my eyes. I had waited in front of his apartment door for three hours and he finally showed up.

“I was.” Joshua replied, looking confused. I don’t know whether it was the question or the sight of me all flustered sitting in front of his rundown apartment door that ignited his confusion.

“That’s why you gave him a follow-up beat down? After Matt and his pals were done?” I said. With each question, closing the distance between us, threateningly.

“See, this is why I keep to myself. To avoid stuff like this. Stuff like fingers pointing at me because I happen to be weird.”

“What’s the deal, Josh? Second lowest guy in the food chain so to feel powerful, you go and drop the lowest guy?”

“It makes you feel good for a minute.” Joshua admitted. I immediately felt sick. He was worse than that big brat of a bully, Matt.  “But I didn’t kill Jeremy,” he said, hands in the air.

“No, you just kicked his ass and threatened him a little.”

“I know I wasn’t great to him. But I liked him. He was nice to me. That doesn’t happen a lot.” I know how he felt. Finally, Joshua and I had common ground. Jeremy was the nicest person we have ever come across. Especially given my condition, he was the best thing that has ever happened in my life.

I knew Jeremy’s  dad was not doing too good financially. That was his excuse for never being around. Jeremy’s dad, Aaron had spent most of the early 90’s scaling just the side of bankruptcy. That was the time when I first met Jeremy. Aaron never paid a cent for child’s support. That was not surprising considering he divorced Megan as soon as the condition of his child was found out. Jeremy had brain damage and it was going to leave a permanent effect on him for the rest of his live.

Megan got through a bout of cancer when Jeremy was in his childhood years. I played with him a lot that time because at six, both us did not go to kindergarten. Megan could not afford the fee while my parents thought it was best for me to stick around at home given my condition. When Megan had to juggle shifts, Jeremy stayed over at my house. My parents did not mind since I was lonely and needed the company. However, the cancer came back nine years later with a vengeance. Jeremy’s mother was on the verge of dying and if she did, the burden of Jeremy would fall on his dad. Who didn’t want him. It was lucky for him Jeremy died. To me, that kind of luck is rare to come by unless it was man’s doing itself.

“I got five minutes for this.” Aaron said, looking irritated. Cigarette smoke escaped his nostrils. He was taking a break from his shift at the Golden Arches restaurant. Well, at least that was his excuse when I caught him loitering at the back of the restaurant during the peak hours.

“It’s about your son’s death” I said but I might as well said my neighbor’s cat died since Aaron seemed indifferent. As if Jeremy meant nothing to him. Just a pebble by the side of the road.

“Big reaction much?” I said when Aaron kept silent. I could not believe this man. He was heartless.
 

“He wasn’t my kid.” Aaron growled, his bulbous nose poking from the bridge of his spectacles.

“Biologically, you mean?”

“Psychologically. Megan and I broke up real quick after he was born.” Aaron said without remorse or regret.

I could not hide my anger any longer. Parents were supposed to care for their kid. Animals do a better job at it than this guy. “What’s the problem? Couldn’t stand looking at a retard knowing he was related to you?”

“Yeah. That was the problem. All that kid ever brought me was trouble.”

“It can’t be emotional trouble since you were never around…so you must be talking money. You were close to the state of bankruptcy and taking Jeremy in would have killed you.”