Straighten Out What's crooked

Straighten Out What's crooked

fiction
edward w pritchard

see The vigilantes

Part 1

I finally broke down and told my Mom what happened with the girl and the Chinese Woman and Billie Rae. It wasn't out of fear for myself, even though it was disturbing to have the Vietnamese lady following me around, or because I was worrying about Felix. I had been talking to Em about Billie Rae and our culpability in Billie Rae's death and what had happen to the girl and Em was remorseless. Even now looking back on that I am not sure why but his lack of remorse struck me deeply and it goaded me to take action.

My Mom called Felix'Father, Mr. Davis. Later, Felix told me that his Mother and Father wanted us to talk to the Priest at the Syrian Catholic Church near where the incident with the girl happened. Mr and Mrs. Davis wanted the three of us to apologize to the Priest for us defiling Church property. Felix was Puerto Rican, and the Davises were Catholic. Only the Mother went to Mass, and Mrs. Davis didn't attend church in our neighborhood and the Syrian Catholic Church was only distantly related to Felix' Mother's church. Still however, Felix' Mother and Father were both genuinely offended that what we had done had happened on Church property.
Felix also told me that he was surprised that his Dad had not, at least, not yet threatened to beat him. I knew, and Felix, apparently didn't, that the only way anyone could now beat Felix would be with his consent. Felix was a very proud person. Once in fifth grade, Mrs. Martin had broke four wood rulers in a row across Felix' outstretched left upturned wrist and still Felix would not apologize for knocking Lon Newson down four steps in the gym, after Lon had said something insulting.

I would have preferred a beating, than my conversation with my Mother and my Aunt, Em's Mother about the incident with the girl. My Mother squared off in front of me and glared at me for a long time, maybe 2 minutes, although it seemed much longer. She didn't say anything, she just stood there looking incredulously at me. She works at the juvenile court as a bailiff now, but for 13 years, from when I was born My Mom worked at the detention center as guard. She is small like me, but she grew up near here, and she often had to take care of her younger Sister. I always heard she can be very mean physically at times. With me however, as I talked to her she seemed more shocked by what I done and refused to pardon me or rescue me, even after I told her my suspicions on Billie Rae's death. She arranged a meeting between me, Felix and Em with the Detective on the case of Billie Rae's death, who she knew, but other than that she told me I had to handle things.

My Aunt was not so hands off. She was very upset with me. She said very sarcastically that I was just like my Father, that I wasn't a leader and initially at least told me it was my fault Em was in trouble because I hadn't looked out for him.

End of part 1

Part 2

The Priest at the Syrian Church was short, shorter than me, and the Priest was very soft spoken and highly intelligent. He talked to each of us separately and then for a few minutes together. He had spoken to my Mother before he and I met. He talked to me but didn't say much. He made me tell how I felt about Billie Rae and basically explored with me why I hadn't protected the girl. He looked straight at me and said he thought it was in my nature to help her but somehow I hadn't. He said also that he agreed with my Aunt, at least in part, that I had let her down and Em, [ and that made me upset], by not protecting Em. He gave me a book to read called
" The Rape of Nanking" and said that as far as he was concerned the matter between him, me and the Church was settled.

Felix, Em and I walked in front of that Church for about 10 days. I carried a picture of Billie Rae on a small pole, Em carried a small very heavy statue of Jesus, made of stone that the Priest had told him he needed to carry. Em struggled every step with carrying that statue and neither Felix or I was allowed to help him. The priest had told Felix he had to wear a torn pink girls shirt as we walked back and fourth in front of that Church and Felix dutifully did so.

Billie Rae's murder was never solved but the Vietnamese lady stopped following me shortly after we started parading in front of the Church and likewise the Chinese lady stopped following Em, and Felix told me the Philippine woman stopped following him.

Felix
I saw Felix about two Easters ago when I was on a long run before Easter dinner at my Mom's house. He was getting into his car at that same Syrian Church. He introduced me to his wife and the two little girls who were in identical yellow communion dresses.
He told me I saved his life that day that I told my Mom about what happened with the girl. I knew he had went into the army shortly after that but I didn't realize that the Priest had been influential in getting him into the service because he didn't meet the normal criteria. He works over at the Tire center now on Talllmadge road near the dollar store and when I drive by he is always scurrying about and working very hard changing tires and competently running things, although he is obviously not the manager.

Em
Em is general manager at the dealership over in North Canton. I refer someone to him now and then to buy a car but I always call Em first and tell him that he better take good care of them or he and I will have to talk. That's funny because he's about two of me now and is always over at the gym lifting weights when he isn't working .

Billie Rae
When I was at Billie Rae's funeral which was very abbreviated because of lack of funds something happened to change my life. The policeman who use to pick up Billie Rae all the time on suspicion, had been at the funeral and drove me and Billie Rae's Mom home. After he dropped off Billie Rae's Mom he told me as we drove, he always hassled Billie Rae and he was the one who made Billie Rae the usual suspect because he wanted to check up on Billie Rae. The Policeman's son had died of an overdose and he had a few kids like Billie Rae that he watched out for when he could. He said he wasn't surprised that Billie Rae had died but that it made him real sad. We sat in front of my house before I went in and he asked me if I minded if he had a cigarette. That made a profound effect on me for it was the first time I saw an officer as a man. I decided to be a policeman, which I am now. I found out years later that that Policeman often drove poor families who couldn't afford much to the graveyard, in situations similar to Billie Rae's funeral. He did that on his days off and he never took a fee and always wore his best uniform.

Me
I wouldn't smoke a cigarette, I am a runner; but I am a policeman. I care about the teenagers up on the North side of Akron and I have a reputation of being rough on them at times. Not physically but I expect a lot out of them and won't just let them drift along if I think they aren't living up to their potential. I am especially hard on young men who are disrespectful of women or don't stand up for those weaker than them. I am not afraid of much of anything anymore but maybe a little of my Mother who still works up at the juvenile court.