Bwas a quiet boy with short, medium brown hair, a light complexion, and an expressionless face.
Same spot every day.
They were both good kids who never got in any trouble.
He worked out a lot and wrestled and boxed.
He was small but a rugged-looking kid.
Then one morning, after I asked,“How’s everything?
He looked down at his heavily-worn work boots and in a very uncommitted voice said,“yeah”.
“In the garage.”
“When I got home from school”,he said.
“What did you do?”
“Then what?”
“I brought her down and made her promise not to do it again”,he said.
“Had she ever tried it before?”
“A few times”,he said.
“Then what did you do?”
“I went to my stepbrother’s house”,he said.
“And what did you do there?”
“We got high”,he said.
“That’s probably not the best way to deal with what you saw.
Where did you stay last night?”
“At my stepbrother’s house”,he said.
“What did you do last night?”
Where’s your mother now?”
“Home”,he said.
“And your father?”
But they fight a lot.
Lots of yelling and screaming",he said.
“You’re a wrestler and a boxer, right?”
“Yeah”,he said.
“Maybe you should have gone to the gym and hit the heavy bag?
Better than getting high-”
“Maybe”,he said.
“You’re a smart kid B, maybe smarter than your parents.
You seem to know that they’re not acting the way they should.
They may need you more than you need them.
You’re no good to yourself or anyone else if you’re high.
Keep a clear head and do things that are productive and helpful.
You’re a good kid, I know it.
Have you ever talked to anyone about this?”
“No”,he said.
“Let me make a call…”
I called the school counselor.
Rose was a nice person who genuinely cared about the kids.
After I described what’d happened, she told me to bringBup to her office right away.
We walked the remainder of the way in silence.
B’smother was hospitalized for several weeks andBand his father visited her every day.
I think this is important because it is always good to have someone to trust."
I only hope that todayBstill answers"How’s everything?
“with"Not bad…",because that would mean that things are okay…
