Unexpected 9: Crime Set

Chapter 13: Update

The soft monotonous voice in his ears and the illustrations in his laptop were enough of a distraction to calm his nerves. He counted bullet after bullet, shinned weapon after weapon and arranged each shelf. The repetitive actions were just enough to keep his mind from going back to the meeting down at the courthouse. That record kept playing on and on in the back of his mind. Among the worst moments of his life!

"Hey Street!" he heard a faint voice as he looked up to Hondo coming in to the armory.

He removed one of the earbuds and greeted, "Hey, Hondo!." he finished by putting the recording on pause and closing the laptop.

"Kid, I didn't notice you had come in."

"Yeah...I just figured I'd kill some time here before the showdown. Went looking for you but you were with a suspect. So..." he said as he laid the long riffle down on the long metal table and took a deep breath. "Listen, I wanna thank you for showing up and meeting with the judge."

"You don't have to. I'm just glad I didn't have to lie when the judge asked me about your progress." he responded quickly.

Street nodded his head silently.

"How did it go?"

Street took another deep breath, then began "Well...it took some convincing and a long list of punishments, but the judge gave in a bit."

"What do you have to do?"

"Service time, take some seminars and courses, shrink sessions, the works."

"He give you back the kid?"

"No, but...I'm allowed to take him tonight and tomorrow, to sleep and then return him in the morning. He'll stay under supervision at all times, in foster during the day. Judge also granted permission to the tryouts, the vet appointment and the sleepover in the weekend. So, it's not full custody, but it's something." he lamented

"I'm glad, Street. Just do whatever the judge says and I'm sure he'll reconsider."

"I'm hoping so. We face him again on Monday for a hearing to determine the permanent housing arrangement for him and I just pray that the judge signs the adoption papers."

"Do what you gotta do to make it happen. Ok?"

"Yeah, I am. I already started the education and got some contacts from a soup kitchen to let me do service hours after shift."

"That's good" Hondo said nodding his head slowly, "Listen, um...something I wanna say."

Street stopped his tasks and stared at him.

"I'm sorry if my reprimand got you into this whole mess. I never thought the consequences would be so horrible as to cost you your family, Street. Yeah, it was your behavior, but...to cause you to lose your kid? Man, I feel kinda guilty! If I put myself in your position, I don't know how I would take it."

"You don't have to apologize. I'm the man I am today partly because of you. I was going down the wrong path and you pretty much shook me straight."

Hondo nodded his head and extended a closed fist.

"Thank you!" Street whispered as he nodded and completed the gesture.

"Aight...I'll see you in the course!" Hondo said as he turned around to leave.

Spending time at a soup kitchen can make anybody reflect. It is often times that we complain about the stuff we don't have, but we fail to see that there's food on the table and a roof over our heads. For Street, washing pots and pans for two hours felt like a waking call. He watched through the small window high up in the wall the feet of hungry homeless and desperate people waiting patiently for what could be their only hot meal of the day. He thought of what kind of jerk he was, of using Chris' name for his advantage, of the many pranks and bullying he committed at school and even in the academy.He felt like he wasn't the same guy that entered SWAT. He was able to look at things through a different perspective. Now, his goal wasn't to himself, but the people he cared the most.