Jaiden Chapter 127
Gregory A. Patrick
09/03/2021
Jaiden – Chapter 127
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Greg Patrick
"Mr. Simanski, would you please approach the bench. I have reviewed your petition for withdrawal from the criminal case the Court assigned to you. Without stating your reason for withdrawal, the Court has granted your request as stated in the attached order. Therefore, the order need not be filed with the Clerk of Court; the Court advises that you retain said order in your confidential file for the required statutory time after which you may destroy said order."
"Thank you, your Honor; the order will be maintained as the Court has directed." Very well, Mr. Simanski, have a good day." "You as well, your Honor."
"The State of Tennessee calls the case of Leon Pettigrew."
"Mr. Pettigrew, you are before the Court for a review of your progress in alcohol and drug treatment. Mr. Prosecutor, do you have the State's witnesses present?"
"I do, your Honor. Ms. Deborah Till, will you please come forward."
"Ms. Till, has Mr. Pettigrew complied with his treatment protocol?" "He has, your Honor. His behavior and compliance have been exemplary. In the past six months, Mr. Pettigrew has earned two day passes, from which he returned early on both occasions. In addition, on both occasions, he met with the victims in his case at their request; they took him to dinner or lunch. I will add that Drs. Jaiden and Peyton have participated in Mr. Pettigrew's treatment protocol, and with their help, Mr. Pettigrew has made tremendous progress. Your Honor, their participation in Mr. Pettigrew's treatment is most unusual. Without their help, I don't know if Mr. Pettigrew would have progressed as charted to date."
"Drs. Jaiden and Peyton, given the circumstances in Mr. Pettigrew's case, it is rather unusual for individuals such as your selves to participate in your attacker's treatment. Can you explain to the Court why you each are doing so?"
"Your Honor, Dr. Peyton and I are fans of Dr. Corbitt Thigpen, author of Three Faces of Eve and a former psychiatrist in Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Thigpen espoused the theory that people don't have behavior or drug problems. Rather, they have issues that cause them to act out or do drugs. He stated in his approach that if one's problems are dealt with effectively, their aberrant behavior will cease. We are trusting that will be the case for Mr. Pettigrew."
"He wrote each of us a letter of apology, and neither letter contained the same wording; his notes were heartfelt. Dr. Peyton and I also follow the theories of Dr. William Glasser, who believes a person's past is not necessarily indicative of their future; we believe likewise."
"Mr. Pettigrew, what do you think? Do you believe you are making the progress that Drs. Peyton and Jaiden believe you are making?" "Your Honor, I am trying so hard to become the person I should and want to be. And I am trying to live up to the trust Drs. Peyton and Jaiden have in me. However, I believe I need to stay in counseling until my therapist thinks I have reached the point where I need to be. I have never felt the way I do now, and I have never felt like anybody believed in me the way Drs. Jaiden and Peyton seem to." The judge looked over his glasses at the two young doctors who were sporting smiles from ear to ear.
"Ms. Till, considering what Mr. Pettigrew has stated to the Court, what is your opinion of his statements? "Your Honor, he is being very straightforward in his remarks, and he has worked incredibly hard to prove what he says. I have no problems saying he is the most earnest, most compliant patient I have ever had." "Ms. Till, how long have you been a counseling psychologist?" "Thirty years, your Honor." "Ms. Till, you have placed a lot of trust in Mr. Pettigrew." "Your Honor, it is not a question of what I have placed in Mr. Pettigrew; it is a question of what he has worked for and earned."
"Mr. Pettigrew, I am going to say something to you that I have never said to any Defendant who has stood before this Court: son, I am incredibly proud of you for the progress you have made to date. It is the Court's intention at this point that when you complete your counseling program, the Court will consider the outright dismissal of your case."
When the Judge told Leon that, he collapsed and cried his heart out. Jaiden and Peyton sat on the floor of the courtroom and held Leon until he calmed himself. When he stood up, Jaiden turned and asked, "Your Honor, may I ask Ms. Till a question?" "You may, Dr. Jaiden."
"Ms. Till, would it be possible for you and Leon to have lunch with Peyton and me today?" "Dr. Jaiden, it would be unusual for me to do that, but I see no harm in joining the three of you for lunch. If anything, it will give me a chance to evaluate communication between the three of you." "Let's meet right after court at B. B. King's Restaurant. I have a craving for some fried chicken livers."
"Drs. Jaiden Peyton, may I see you briefly in Chambers with Ms. Till and the attorneys?" "Yes, sir."
"Gentlemen, it is very uncommon for me to ask this, but would you mind if the attorneys and I join you four for lunch?" "Not at all, Judge, the more, the merrier! It will probably boost Leon's confidence as well." "Great. What say we all meet at B. B. King's at 12:30?" Jaiden said he would get a table for seven.
"Hello, gents, what's good for lunch here?" "Judge, everything on the menu is good. I tried chicken livers after our brothers said they were good. I'd never had them before, and since our first visit here, I get chicken livers at least every two weeks; but I'm afraid if I order them too much, I'll get as big as the side of a barn." Peyton said, "Judge, when he gains weight, he has to listen to his mother, and she is one tough little lady."
"Jaiden, what does your mother do for a living?" "Judge, she is a doctor in Abingdon, Virginia. She has an urgent care clinic that stays busy all the time, plus she works in the emergency room in the Abingdon hospital when they need help. She is also still on staff at St. Jude's." "Really; what's her name?" "Mom."
"Young man, that is interesting. Perhaps we have the same mother because my mother's name is also Mom." Everybody laughed at the Judge's comment. "Judge, her name is Dr. Peggy Reynolds." "I used to have a friend here by that name. Her husband died in a plane crash." "Yes, sir. That would be my dad, Dr. Abe Reynolds, who died while on a medical sabbatical to help children in Africa."
"Dr. Jaiden, I knew something about you seemed very familiar. Your dad was my best friend here in Memphis. It hurt me terribly when he passed away." Jaiden saw the Judge's eyes swelling and turning red and watery. "Judge, I was three when my dad died, so all I remember about him is what people tell me. We have some pictures of Dad; otherwise, I wouldn't know what he looked like. I understand he was a very kind and patient man with the children he tried hard to help. Mom tells me I am just like Dad was when she sees me with my patients. I certainly try to honor his name and reputation." "Son, from what I have learned and heard about you, you honor your dad beautifully." "Thank you, Judge; I try hard."
"Dr. Jaiden, I didn't know that about you." "Leon, it isn't something I talk much about; there are things that I never knew about my dad and learned while I was in medical school. For example, I didn't realize he and my mother also had graduate engineering degrees to help their patients in addition to their medical training."
"Dr. Jaiden, how did you find out about their degrees?" "Leon, we learned about them when we moved to Erie after we graduated from Wellstone University. Dale and Charley moved with us after Mom got them a scholarship to Penn State's College of engineering. When we had our meeting at the park, the red head, and the slender brown-haired guy you saw at the park with us are our adopted brothers. We have lived together and been very close since Wellstone. Our ten children make our lives very interesting."
"Ten children? In the same house? How old are they?" Leon, all of our children were born on the same day, and they are fifteen months old." "Wow! You must have the patience of Job." "Peyton and I have been told that. Sometimes we want to argue the opposing thoughts to that reputation."
"Peyton, what do you mean?" "Judge, have you ever been in a van with ten babies and four adults with the windows rolled up and locked after those children have eaten cruciferous vegetables?" "No, sir, and I don't think I want to." "Believe me, Judge, it is not a pleasant experience." Peyton mumbled, "you can say that again!"
"Peyton, you seem to have had a first-hand experience with that problem." "I have, Judge. My parents came up to go to court with us when Leon's case was first heard. Dad is a mean practical joker, so I thought I'd feed the children broccoli salad and not give them any Beano."
"Then we took the children to the park to let them play and build up the explosive consequences of eating the cruciferous vegetable. On the way home, I locked the van windows on Dad. He paid me back by getting the ladies to feed the vegetable dish to the children. We had to take them outside because we couldn't stay in the house with them. Jaiden gave them some Beano to get rid of the gas while we were outside. It took almost two days to get the house aired out."
"Yeah, I remember Jim being a mean practical joker while we worked on our undergrad degrees. It was so good to see them in court when they were in town. Peyton, your dad hasn't changed a bit." "Tell me about it, Judge. Jenny is a worse practical joker than Dad ever was, and he trained her to be that way." "How did you survive the two when you were growing up?" "I aligned with Mom, and she would make Dad squirm when he or Jenny went overboard with their joking."
"Jaiden asked, "Judge, did your mom ever give you the evil eye that told you you'd better straighten up or else?" "More times than I can count, Jaiden." "Peyton's mom gives Dad the evil eye, and he quickly backs off trying to rile Peyton." "That's funny; she controlled Jim the same way when we were in college together."
"Leon, do you know how fortunate you are to have someone like Dr. Jaiden and Dr. Peyton come into your life?" "Judge, I fully understand and appreciate that fact. Everything about my life has been better since our initial encounter."
"How so, Leon?"
"Judge, for starters, I am finally getting the help I've needed for a long time. I'm learning how to understand and control my anxiety before it turns into anger. I now know what it feels like to be sober and feel good when I wake up in the morning. I have a long way to go in that process, but I know without a doubt that I will get there."
"Last week, I got a letter from Wellstone University asking me to apply for admission. They said they had already checked out my high school grades, and they felt I would be a good fit for their university. I got their letter at the alcohol rehab center. They said that the address they had to send their letter to me let them know I was working hard to improve myself. I cried when I got that letter because I never saw the possibility of going to college. And now there is a college I didn't know about looking at me."
"Well, gentlemen, Leon and I have to get back to the center; we have a group session at 1:30. Jaiden and Peyton got up and hugged Leon and said they'd talk with him later. The Judge, the District Attorney (Anthony Smith), and his lawyer (Todd Melrose) shook hands with Leon when he left with Ms. Till.
When they had gone, the Judge looked at Jaiden and asked, "Jaiden, how did the university learn about Leon?" "Judge, they haven't found out about him – yet."
"Leon is supposed to have an interview with the Dean of Men and the Director of Housing at Wellstone when he completes his treatment. I didn't have anything to do with them contacting Leon." "Then I wonder who did, Jaiden."
Peyton spoke up and said, Judge, the Dean of Men at Wellstone is my uncle, and his wife is the Director of Housing. Mom had told them about the case here in Memphis, and they called me to find out more information. I didn't tell them Leon was in alcohol and drug treatment, all I did was give them the address where they could send him an invite to apply for admission. The rest of the information they have they got on their own. The only thing I did was to ensure that if Leon would like to attend the university when he completes treatment, he has a full-ride scholarship."
Leon's lawyer, Todd Melrose, spoke up and asked, by full-ride scholarship, what do you mean?"
"Todd, it means his housing, meals, tuition, and books are paid for as long as he works hard and passes his courses. If he needs a tutor for anything, the tutor will be provided as well."
"Why? I have never had a client where an individual the client assaulted did so much for him." "Todd, Leon had been kicked in the teeth at every turn in his life. Twenty years down the road, he will be out of trouble and live a good, more prosperous life if we do this for him. We think he deserves that change of life, and, quite frankly, he has worked hard in treatment and deserves the break."
"Jaiden, Peyton, I don't know what to say. Thank you is the correct phrase to use, but it doesn't seem adequate after what you have worked out for Leon." "Todd, Leon has already said thank you by working so hard in his treatment. He will continue individual and group therapy at Wellstone, so he will have the support he needs while there."
"Tony, what do you think about the deal worked out for the Defendant?" "Judge, I don't know what to think. This is so out of the blue and unusual; I have never encountered a situation like this. God has certainly unbelievably blessed Leon!" "I agree, Gentlemen. Jaiden, Peyton, I don't know how you did it, but thank you. What a blessing the two of you have been to and for Leon." "Judge, all we have done is treat him the way we would want to be treated if we were in his shoes."
That night, Jaiden and Peyton got a call from their friends at Fox News asking about the attack against Jaiden and what they were told had been done for Leon. Jaiden explained that Leon had many pitfalls in life, and he was striking out more at emotional pain than at him. He told the news guys that he and Peyton were simply trying to do something to improve Leon's life dramatically and hopefully help him to have a happy and successful life twenty years down the road.
That night, every significant news network carried the story on the six pm news. Thirty minutes later, the phone calls to Jaiden and Peyton began. Dr. Mom, Peyton's parents, Tony, and everybody else in Erie called. Finally, at ten that night, Jenny called. Her temple, Peyton's and Jaiden's home temples, and the temple in Memphis were all abuzz at the news they heard about their friends and fellow temple members.
The following day the administrators at St. Jude's were waiting to congratulate Jaiden and Peyton for the news they had heard. Not only had it painted Peyton and Jaiden in a good light, but it also spoke well of St. Jude's for having the young doctors at their facility. The guys were congratulated by their young patients and their families in every room they entered. Their young patients were beside themselves at having such famous doctors. Even their hospital co-workers were getting in on the congratulatory actions.
Two days later, Peyton and Jaiden began receiving donations to help Leon's cause. Finally, when the gifts and cards began to slow down, over $400,000 in donations had been accepted for Leon. Dale called his dad, and the money was invested for Leon through his dad's firm. That helped Dale's dad get recognition for bringing in a sizable investment for the firm.
The guys called the judge and informed him about the donations they received for Leon and what they had done with them. The Judge seemed stunned at the news of the contributions and thanked the guys for what they had done to help Leon. He was advised they would be sitting down with Ms. Till and Leon at the treatment center so Leon could be informed about the gifts and what had been done with them.
Peyton called Deborah Till, at the Alcohol and Drug Center, and set up a meeting to meet with Leon at 11 am on Tuesday. They walked into the treatment center promptly at 11 on Tuesday and went to Dr. ill's office to have a conference with Leon.
"Leon, a lot has happened for you in the past six months. Dr. Jaiden and I have some news for you, but we don't want you to panic or get upset when you hear what the information is." "Dr. Peyton, is it bad?" "No, quite the contrary, Leon. Did you see the news the other night when they told your story and what Jaiden and I were trying to do to help you?" "Yes, sir. Why?" "When Jaiden and I were featured on the news for things we accomplished in Erie that resulted in changes for students across the nation, we received many gifts for what we had done. The same thing has happened on your behalf."
"Dr. Peyton, what do you mean?" "Leon, in the past week, people sent us over $400,000 to help us help you. Dale's dad is our investment broker, so we invested all the money we received in a trust investment account for you. Once you complete your program at Wellstone University and graduate, every cent of the funds we received on your behalf will be available to you to get a master's degree and buy yourself a lovely home."
Leon started sweating profusely after receiving the news Peyton delivered. When Leon lost it and started crying buckets of tears, Jaiden knelt on his left knee in front of Leon. He took Leon's hands in his and said, "Leon, look at me. Peyton and I intend to help you turn your life around and, for the first time, help you have the most comfortable, peaceful, and happy life you've ever had. You deserve that, and you know it!"
"Dr. Jaiden, thank you for saying that. My life has always been in shambles. For the past ten years, I have lived in a tent where the homeless stay. I have nearly frozen to death because it was so cold outside after snow fell. I've had to forage for food in dumpsters to keep from starving. What you and Dr. Peyton are doing to help me is something I am having a hard time wrapping my head around."
"Leon, if the help you are receiving is hard to wrap your head around, stop trying to do that and accept what people are doing to help you. I promise you, Dr. Peyton, and I will not abandon you. We fully intend to help you, however necessary, to be happy and successful in life."
"Dr. Jaiden, when I complete my program here, I have to go back to the tent to live. I have to forage for food again, and I have to put up with the dangers of living in a homeless camp." "Leon, who told you that crap?" "Nobody, it's just a reality for me." "That's pontificated bovine fecal matter!" "What?" "Bullshit, Leon. When you complete treatment here at the center, we will ensure you have a place to live until you enter the university. You also don't have to worry about getting to the university or getting around once you get there; that has already been taken care of." Leon couldn't say a word as he looked out the window of Dr. Till's office as tears flowed down his face.
"Leon, why don't you go to your room and lie down for a while. This has been an emotional day for you, and you can use the downtime." "But Dr. Till, I'll miss my counseling group. That always makes me feel so much better. Can I go to my group and then have some downtime?" "Leon, if it makes you feel that much better, yes, you may, but I want you to lie down immediately after group and get a good nap. Understood?" "Yes, mam." "OK. Go on to your group session."
"Peyton, Jaiden, that was quite a bombshell for that young man." "I agree, Deborah, but we couldn't keep that from him. We hope it gives Leon the impetus to try even harder to turn his life around."
"Guys, I have no doubt that will happen! By the way, where will you find a place for Leon to stay once he completes treatment?" "He can stay with our family. Our house is very large, and he can have a choice of one of four bedrooms."
"We'll ensure he continues in therapy and has as stress-free a life as possible. So, please, come to the house around seven tonight and have coffee with our brothers and us. Then, we can sit on the deck while our children play in the yard until they get tired and are ready to have a bath and go to bed. I am sure that will be an eye-opening experience for you. Nine boys and a little girl who is their taskmaster and keeps them in line. She is a hilarious, tough little girl. The visit will give you time to assess if the plan will be good for Leon. We have a tranquil and peaceful home life that should help him relax and feel loved."
"Here is the address." "Guys, thank you for the invite. I have a feeling it will be relaxing for me." "Deborah, if it isn't, we'll be surprised. Dale makes the best coffee in town, and his knishes are to die for." "Gentlemen, thank you; I'll see you at seven."
At seven sharp, the doorbell rang at the house. Jaiden answered the door and invited Dr. Till inside. Jaiden escorted the good doctor into the den, where he introduced her to Dale and Charley. "Dale, Charley, this is Dr. Deborah Till, the psychologist I told you about." "Dr. T..." "Please, gentlemen, call me Deborah." "In that case, I'm Jaiden, my spouse is Peyton; this young man is our brother, Dale, and the handsome redhead is his spouse and our other brother, Charley."
"Gentlemen, I have heard so much about you and read your histories back in Erie; It is nice to finally meet you." "Likewise, Deborah."
"Dale, is the coffee ready?" "It is, Jaiden, and the knishes are coming out of the oven as we speak." "Dale, those knishes smell heavenly, and the aroma of the coffee is amazing." "Deborah, wait until you taste Dale's coffee with the knishes he makes. Every lady in the temple is jealous of his knishes. Hadassah is making Dale give the ladies a course in how to make the pastries. They can hang up trying to make coffee like Dale's; nobody has been able to make it taste like the coffee he makes."
"Jaiden, I bet you ten to one that Deborah can." "Why do you say that, Dale?" "She will pay attention to the measurement of the ground coffee. Hardly anybody has done that, and it's why their coffee is always different." "Show Deborah how you make the coffee, and let's see if hers will taste like yours."
Dale pulled the kitchen scales out of the cabinet and poured coffee grounds into a dry basket. Donna set the filled basket on the scales, got the weight, and re-bagged the coffee. Then she put the basket on the scales and filled it with coffee until the weight she observed on the scales had been reached. Then she put the coffee basket into the coffee maker, added ten cups of water, and started the brewing process. When the coffee maker completed running the water through the coffee grounds, Dale poured Jaiden a cup, added the Stevia and fresh cream, and handed the cup to his brother. When Jaiden tasted the coffee, his eyes widened as he said, "Why can't I do this?" Dale said, "Jaiden, I have already told you why; you ignore the amount of coffee I use, Deborah didn't."
Dale looked at Deborah and told her not to show Jaiden how she'd made the coffee. "He's got to learn to measure the coffee grounds. Before the night ends, show him how to do it." Dale emptied the coffee basket, rinsed it out, and then dried it with paper towels. When everybody had gotten a cup of coffee and gone to the deck, Dale poured out the remaining coffee so Deborah would have to show Jaiden how to make coffee properly.
When the adults were on the deck, the children noticed a new adult was with their dads, so they shuffled up the steps to meet Deborah. As they started up, Peyton said, Deborah, get ready for an onslaught of children. They just noticed you, and they're coming to meet the new person."
No sooner had the children gotten onto the deck when Nathan, known as Seth Jr., pointed his finger at Deborah and said, "Da, cute." Deborah started hysterically laughing and said how darling Nathan was when he said cute.
Jaiden was so embarrassed that his face was red. He tried to explain to Deborah that they were working to get Nathan to stop saying cute every time he met a lady – or a girl. "He is just like Peyton's youngest brother. It took me the longest to get Seth to stop saying that at the hospital."
"Why was Seth in the hospital?" "Deborah, his biological dad tortured him after his mom caught him kissing his boyfriend in his bedroom. They didn't know Seth was gay for apparent reasons. His dad took a broom handle and assaulted him rectally."
"We took Seth to the hospital where Peyton and I were Physician's Assistants, and the doctor for whom we worked examined Seth. He found several tears in Seth's colon, a ruptured spleen, a damaged kidney, and six broken ribs." The boy was in the hospital for a month and a half."
"When everything happened, Richard was a friend of ours in medical school, and he came to us out of fear for Seth. Peyton's dad called and was told we were in surgery helping Dr. Brannan take care of Seth. So, he called my mother, a doctor in Virginia. The next thing we knew, my mom and Peyton's parents flew into Erie and met us at the hospital the following morning. Peyton's dad is a big man, and he kept saying he wanted to get his hands on Seth's bio-donor."
"I can say without any doubt whatsoever, that had Dad gotten his hands on Seth's dad, he would have torn him to pieces."
"A friend of ours from the temple where we are members took care of the legal issues in the case. We went to court the following day, and Richard and Seth's parents went to prison for a long time. I doubt their bio-dad will ever get out of jail. The judge terminated all parental rights."
"Peyton's dad got the lawyer to draw up adoption papers before we went to court. When parental rights were terminated, the legal eagle presented the adoption papers to the judge who signed off on them. Richard and Seth walked out of the courtroom with new parents who loved them unreservedly."
"Dad immediately paid off all of Richard's medical school loans and prepaid the costs of his final year of medical school. As for Seth, he lives on a farm in Orange Beach. He has been well educated in a Jewish high school. He starts vet school at the University of Florida in December. There were some prerequisites that the university placed on Seth, but he got the last laugh by completing all the college courses while he was in high school."
"The comparison of Nathan to Seth is because I had to correct Seth several times for telling nurses they were cute. He told one nurse she was hot."
"When my mom and Peyton's mom walked into his hospital room the morning after flying into Erie, Seth said, `Mr. Jaiden, I am going to have to close my eyes before I get into more trouble'. I asked him why, and he said because pretty women kept walking into his room. The nurse he kept saying was hot is now his sister-in-law, and they have a beautiful relationship. Nathan seems to be just like Seth."
"Jaiden, at Nathan's age, that isn't a problem. But I would say in this instance that it shows he has good taste." When she said that, Charley spat coffee over the deck railing as he started laughing. "Jaiden, Deborah has a point you can't argue with."
Before the night was over, Deborah said she'd had reservations about Leon living with Jaiden and his family, but what she had observed that night changed her mind. "Jaiden, do you guys think it would be OK to let Leon come here Friday night and then go back to the center early on Sunday evening?"
"We can test his reaction to the possibility of a new living situation?" "Deborah, I think that would be a good idea. I'll get Ginny and Granny to get him a room set up tomorrow so it will be ready for Leon on Friday."
That night, Jaiden called his friend, Mr. Pugh, at the Ford dealership in Erie and made arrangements to have a new Ford Escape delivered to the house from the Memphis Ford dealer on Friday morning. The paperwork for the car would be faxed to the Memphis dealership for Jaiden and Peyton to sign on Thursday.
Peyton, Dale, Charley, and Jaiden sat down after dinner and drew up a set of house rules for Leon, mainly that there would be no yelling, screaming, cursing, or any other kind of discord. One stipulation of the agreement was that the police would be immediately notified and allowed to search the residence if any illegal drugs or substances were found or thought to be in the house.
The rules were faxed to Dr. Till, who would put them on the center letterhead, cover them with Leon, and have him sign them.
Thursday afternoon, Leon was called into Dr. Till's office and told that he would be placed into a sponsor's home for the weekend. If the residence is compatible with the environment Leon needs, the stay, more likely than not, would be a temporary placement until he starts school at Wellstone University. The rules Leon would be required to abide by were covered with and signed by him.
Friday evening, Dr. Till took Leon to the residence where he would stay until he began college in January. When he saw the house, his eyes bulged. "Dr. Till, I have never stayed in a home this nice; it is a bit intimidating to me." "Leon, I promise you that as long as you abide by the house rules, you shouldn't ever have a problem. When we get inside, I'll introduce you to everybody. Then we'll all sit down and discuss what is expected of you, what you will have to do to complete your treatment plan, and how the family hopes to help you. There shouldn't be any reason for you to be nervous. I have already spent time with the family in the home, and I think you will be pleasantly surprised with your accommodations here. Are you ready to go inside and meet the family?" "Dr. Till I am as ready as I can be. I hope they can understand what I have been through and know what I am trying to do to get my life straight." "Leon, I think you will be pleasantly surprised."
The two walked to the front door of the home and rang the doorbell. When Jaiden answered the door, Leon collapsed, and Jaiden caught him before he hit the ground. All the guys in the house helped get Leon calmed down and then took him to the den. Everybody discussed the rules that Dr. Till already covered with Leon. When that discussion was had, Jaiden looked at Leon and asked, "Leon, will you please let us help you?" "Dr. Jaiden, I will do my best to let you and your family help me. After how I talked to and treated you at the park, I'm having difficulty wrapping my head around everything. This is so surreal to me."
"Leon, we all are good at sizing a person up, and you are a good person who has had a hard time in life. We intend to help you change and work into a life you are happy and successful with."
"Dale will work with you on improving your self-esteem by teaching you some things that will help you to never again doubt your abilities in anything. Charley is incredibly good at keeping you focused on what you need to accomplish and helping you do that. Peyton and I will help you financially with whatever you need. We aren't charging you rent, and we don't want you worrying about that. We want you to stay with us until you begin your studies at Wellstone University in January. If we go out to eat, you will go with us. If we go on a vacation or a long weekend somewhere, we expect you to go with us and be a part of the family."
"Charley and Dale graduate from Wellstone and Penn State in December. We will fly up to attend the graduations, and we expect you to go with us and be a part of the family. While we are in Brevard, we'll introduce you to a friend of ours who will help you any way he can when you need help. He'll also let us know if any problems come up."
"Peyton's uncle is Dean of Men, and his aunt is Director of Housing at Wellstone University. They have offered to help you in any way they can. In addition, we helped set up a specific counseling program while we were at Wellstone, and we have spoken to the director of the Counseling Center. She has pledged to make sure you get any counseling you may need while at Wellstone."
"I realize this is a lot to take in; you need to understand where we are all coming from. So, please understand that our faith requires us to share our resources to help a person in need whenever we can. We believe Hashem, God, put you in our path so we could help you. We have thanked Hashem for doing that. We will all be blessed by him tenfold for whatever we need to do to help you. We have been blessed in every situation where we assisted someone who needed our help."
"Leon, my mother, and Peyton's parents will be here in two weeks. They have something they want to help you with when you get to Wellstone. Then, when they fly into Memphis, they'll talk with you about what they want to do to help you. Did you bring your clothes with you? "I did, Dr. Jaiden."
"Good. Now, the first thing I want you to stop doing is calling me Dr. Jaiden and calling Peyton Dr. Peyton. We are now family to you, and we want you to address us as Peyton and Jaiden, OK?" "Yes, sir, I'll try to do that, but it may take me some time to get used to that." "Leon, I'm Dale, and the handsome redhead is Charley." "Yes, sir."
"Tomorrow, you will get to meet the children. They are in bed asleep right now. I'll warn you ahead of time; they are going to be excited when they meet you." "Dale, how many children do y'all have?" "Leon, between Peyton and Jaiden, and me and Dale, we have ten children." "In one house?" "In one house, and they all get along well with each other. They are raised as brothers with a sister, and they are very protective of each other." "WOW! I've never known anybody with that many children, especially in one house. How old are the children?" They are all fifteen months old, brilliant, and very well behaved; you'll see."
"Did you bring your clothes inside?" No, sir, they are in Dr. Till's car." "Well, bro, go get them and bring them inside, and we'll show you the room that will be yours."
Leon got his clothes and brought them inside the house. The guys took him and Deborah downstairs and told Leon he would be staying in the back bedroom on the left since it would be the quietest room. While everybody was downstairs, Jaiden paid close attention to the clothes Leon unpacked, and he didn't like what he saw.
"Leon, we're going shopping tomorrow night and get you some nice clothes, new shoes, and plenty of underclothes; you don't have near what you should have." "Jaiden, I don't want to burden you that way!" "Who said it was a burden? Nobody here commented in that regard. Hopefully, while you stay here, you'll learn here that it's much easier to take care of someone's needs before things get out of hand."
"Any questions about your bedroom?" "No, sir, it's a beautiful room." "Good. Come with me," Jaiden, Deborah, and the other guys walked into the garage as the door was rolling up. When the door was completely up, Jaiden took everybody onto the turnaround at the garage doors.
When they stepped up to the Escape, Jaiden said, "Leon, you are going to have limited access to this car until you complete your treatment program here in Memphis. Then, when you get to Brevard and Wellstone, this car will be your vehicle, so you'll have a way around Brevard to do whatever you may need to do while in college there."
"If you are caught drinking or under the influence of drugs while at Wellstone, the car will be permanently removed from your use. I am not paying insurance on this vehicle unless you agree to what I have outlined to and for you, Capeesh?" "Capeesh, Jaiden."
Later in the afternoon, Jaiden watched as Leon sat on the deck staring at the mountains. He could tell Leon was deep in thought about something, so he walked outside and asked, "watcha thinking about Leon?"
"When we went to the temple this morning, and the Rabbi spoke about why good things happen to bad people, that hit home with me. I have had to fight for what I need all my life, and I am still trying to figure out why you and your family have been so good to me."
"Leon, I've asked you before, and I will ask you again: don't you think you deserve to have someone be good to you, to have what you need without having to fight for it?" "Jaiden, that is so foreign to me that I don't know how to answer your question."
"Since you said that, I will tell you something that is one of the most important things you can learn and do for yourself as you live your life: Stop wasting your time chasing things that don't matter."