The Fugitive Grandma Lives

Chapter 22 - The Bill of Rights

The next day in social studies class, their teacher Mr. Pollack asked the students to divide into groups of two and three. The kids quickly formed groups, choosing friends or neighboring desk mates. The only two students that no one wanted on their team were Johnny and Sally so the two of them ended up together.

"I am glad I got to work with you," Johnny said.

"You didn't have a choice," Sally said. "We're leftovers."

"You would be my choice anyways." He said.

"Whatever."

"Here's your project," Mr. Pollack announced. "This year we've been studying the Bill of Rights. I want you to give a presentation on what it means to you. Give me an example of it from you everyday life."

Sally twirled a clump of hair with her finger. "The Bill of Rights?" Sally said. "I don't know what that is."

"It's something that's supposed to protect us," Johnny explained. Social studies was the only class subject that had ever interested him. "That way people can't mess with us for no good reason. They have to give us a fair shake."

She laughed cynically and said nothing.

"Well, if it's supposed to these things then why doesn't it do them?" she asked us.

Johnny shrugged. "It's just ideas. It only works if we make it happen."

"Whatever."

Whatever. He was already learning this was the Loser Queen's favorite expression. It meant you didn't care what happened because either way you were going to get hurt. It hurt too much to care. It hurt too much to have feelings. When you had no power over your life, the only power left was the power not to care. Whatever.

***

That night, Johnny did his homework at the kitchen table while his grandma watched the evening news. His dad was late again, doing some kind of work out by the Salton Sea that he didn't want to talk about. The news reported on a gang of thieves called Locos Lobos, wanted in connection to a string of gas station robberies throughout the Coachella Valley. The reporter interviewed a group of seniors who'd had their wallets and jewelry stolen while they were refilling gas on their way to a local casino.

Stella cleared her throat noisily and turned off the TV.

"Hey I want to watch that," Johnny said.

"Nah, let's finish your homework up," Stella said. "That's OK, grandma. I got it covered."

"Oh c'mon. Lemme help out kid. Just like old times. Remember when we worked on your book report together back in the day?"

He remembered. They had worked on his first book reported for Little Red Riding Hood. He got in trouble with his teacher for discovering about a different ending of the old fairy tale, one where the wolf gets away with murder. That's when his grandmother told him that life can go in either direction, happy or sad. Sometimes there's no one to save you from the wolf unless you do it yourself.

"I am supposed to write something about the Bill of Rights."

"The Bill of Rights. That's good stuff, Johnny. Ben Franklin, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson. King George expected those guys to roll over and they weren't havin' it. Those guys had guts. They put everything on the line. The King would've hung 'em from the gallows if he had the chance. The whole lot of them."

"So they were kind of like fugitives in a way weren't they?"

"That's exactly right. So was Jesus when you think about it. The Son of God was shakin' things up, making trouble for the big wigs. Then one of his guys ratted him out to the Romans. That's why we keep our secret close. Keep it in the family. You never know who the Judas is gonna be."