Death Bed Chats

Chapter 2- Betrayal

We were contenders our baseball team that is. St. Francis Academy was not only number one in the Parochial league, but now we were headed for the state championship. I was the catcher for the team; how ironic hiding behind a mask both on and off the field.

My senior year in some aspects was the absolute best; I was respected, honored and admired. Even though I continued to live the lie it suddenly wasn't so bad because everyone was patting me on the back. I had college scouts looking at me, scholarships being offered right and left and my parents told me they couldn't be prouder of me.

With all this going on I suddenly didn't need Jeannie as much. Looking back now I realized how badly I had used her. I wasn't much of a friend. I had the prettiest girls in school hitting on me and though I might not have been physically attracted to them, I was thrilled by their blind admiration.

I figured if I was going to continue to live this lie I might as well do it up big. While all this was going on I had my teammates telling me that I should dump Jeannie, she was just too strange they would tell me. I never defended her once, I was to stuck on myself and how it would effect my world.

Once again, Jeannie seemed to know what was going on and as if she understood it she told me that we didn't need to pretend date anymore if I didn't want to. She was sacrificing herself again and letting me off the hook. She did have one request, she asked me to take her to the Winter Wonderland Dance before Christmas because her Uncle Tom was getting an award that night and she needed me there to be able to avoid him.

I told her of course I would be there for her and I truly meant it at the time.

Jeannie nervously tried on the dress her mother had helped her pick out. It was a beautiful green velvet dress with a silver brooch at the waist. Her mother cried when she told her how she looked so grown up. She remarked that George and she would make a beautiful couple. Then she asked Jeannie an odd question, "Jeannie, I need to ask you, George hasn't made you do anything has he,"

Jeannie nearly fell off her high heels, her mother could never talk to her about sex and now she came right out and asked her this question. She was puzzled at the way her mother had phrased the question.

"Mom, George is a very good guy and he respects me, we've only held hands and kissed, I promise," Her mother nodded and smiled as she left the room.

Jeannie couldn't make sense of what her mother had asked and because of that she wondered if Uncle Tom had ever tried anything with her mom. She wanted so badly to tell on him, but worried about not being believed after all that's what Tom had told her. Pedophiles knew exactly what to say and back then the priests had such power. If one said he could have you sent to reform school he was believed.

Jeannie had to buy her time, make sure that she was out of the house, away from the family before she told on good old Father Tom.

George picked her up right at five to go to dinner before the dance. Jeannie's dad laid down the law and told him if he took a drink he wasn't to get behind the wheel. Liquor never really appealed to George so that wasn't an issue.

Dinner was at the Hotel Denton which was one of the most plush hotels in the entire state. Most of the couples there were ball players and cheerleaders. Jeannie was definitely the odd one out and the other girls made no attempts to hide their disdain for her.

When they headed for the dance George's teammates had him convinced to skip the dance at least for a while and go to a poker game?

Jeannie and George had one dance together and then he disappeared with no explanation to her. Father Tom had watched her very carefully and being ever the man of opportunity he swooped right in. He tried to trap her twice, but she had eluded him, it was when she decided to walk home on alone that he caught up with her in his car. He ordered her to get in to his Chevrolet Impala. She refused and continued walking, but like the snake he was he cut her off with the car and grabbed her to shove her in the car.

Old Mrs. Simmons was walking her dog and recognized Father Tom right away. "Everything ok Father," she asked trying to see who was in the car.

He was as bold as ever, "My niece, you know Jeannie, well she had a bit too much to drink and now I'm bringing her home so her parents and I can have a talk with her," he answered.

Mrs. Simmons shrugged her shoulders, "Teenagers, they don't have a lick of sense today".

At that moment, Jeannie knew she was defeated, there was no one to help, no one to believe her and her best friend had deserted her.

When he was done with her he left her out and told her to walk home. He left her with an ominous warning, "If you get pregnant you better make sure you get an abortion".

He was so cold, so evil, if she got the chance to kill him she would.

She knew she couldn't go home, not like this, her parents would think George did it and she couldn't have that. She was sore and cold and she just wanted for everything to stop hurting once and for all. She wasn't that far from the Witch's Thicket so that's where she headed. She had taken her shoes off because she couldn't walk in heels in the snow. She simply lay down in the snow; it was cold but also white and pure.

She laughed thinking about how she was no longer white or pure. Before she fell asleep she had asked God what his plan was, why did this evil man come into her life and what did she have to do to make it stop.

George felt guilty about leaving Jeannie and although he had been drinking at the poker game he still came back to take her home. He searched all over the dance and couldn't find her anywhere. He asked a few people, but no one seemed to know where she was. He went to check to see if her coat was still in the coat room and when it wasn't he panicked.

As he started out of the school the janitor stopped him, "You looking for the Craig girl," he asked.

George nodded and the janitor said, "You should have protected her".

George was confused, "What," George asked.

"He followed her out; don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about....someone has to stop him".

George bolted and headed towards the rectory, the pastor Monseigneur Aiello answered the door. "George, what is it is there a problem at the dance," he asked.

"No Monseigneur is Father Tom here," he inquired. Just then Father Tom appeared in the doorway and George went after him quickly pinning him up against the door. Monseigneur Aiello tried to get in between them but he was an old man and was no match for George.

"Where the hell is she," George yelled.

"Jeannie, why she's at home safe and sound after you left her at the dance, now take your hands off of me before Monseigneur calls the police,"

George released him and left the rectory, he was confused by all of the night's event, but as long as Jeannie was home safe and sound that's all that mattered.

George headed home, the whisky had gotten to him and he just wanted to go to bed. Sleep would come quickly, but it wouldn't last long.