Eric, You handled the situation in "The Guilty Phone Call" with a great deal of compassion. My father the Sergeant would have told me: "You tear up everything we give you."
I had an incident that somewhat parallels yours.
When I was in college (long time ago) a boy who lived near the campus hung out at our dormitory. He was only about twelve but obviously enjoyed being around older guys. The general consensus among us students was that the kid probably had an unpleasant home life and found validation in hanging with guys who treated him well. we saw ourselves as big brothers for him.
"Jerry" would play pool with us, watch TV, wash a guy's car, run errands. Just one of the guys. We reciprocated by helping him with school projects and buying him a season ticket for home games.
The kid and I developed a bond, becoming good buddies. He frequently spent the night with my roommate and me. We were briefly naked when changing clothes or cleaning up in the wing's communal bathroom, but there was absolutely no physical contact. In the normal course of showering I learned that he had not yet sprouted any pubes. However, he was obviously near puberty and I watched him for signs of maturity. In a way I guess I was living my own discovery years over again while I anticipated what nature was preparing for Jerry.
We planned a camping trip one weekend during a summer session. I had classes that morning. My young buddy showed up early and I gave him the keys to my car so he could load the trunk while I was in class.
When I came walking back he was sitting on the front steps of the dorm. He jumped up and ran to me. "I messed up," he told me with tears in his eyes. The kid was shaking like a leaf. He grabbed me, wrapped his arms around me and kept saying "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Having the car keys, he thought he would enjoy a little drive around the dorm parking lot. He had never driven before. While taking his cruise he misjudged the distance between the car and the end of a decorative rock wall that was about 12" or 15" high. The right front tire climbed across the wall, but after the wheel passed over it, the frame of the car came down on top of the wall. The car was stuck. Wouldn't go forward, wouldn't go backward. The drive wheels just spun.
My young friend was in agony, sobbing his poor little heart out as we looked at the situation. I don't think I've ever seen anyone else, before or since, in such an emotional state.
With the help of some of the other guys we jacked the car up and made a stepped ramp out of Coke cases. It took a while, but eventually I drove slowly off the edge of the wall.
My little friend was very relieved. He begged me not to tell his parents. And I could feel him worrying that maybe I wouldn't want him around any more. I weighed my options. Should I chew the kid out for taking liberties with my car? Or should I let it pass?
It would have killed me to be rough with him. Instead, we talked the whole thing over on the way to the State Park.
Some months later, into the Fall term, I witnessed a delicate little wisp of curled filaments growing in a spot that had previously been bare. I was glad that I'd been understanding with the kid. Otherwise I would have never had the pleasure of appreciating that awesome moment.
I have kept up with Jerry and count him among my good friends. Sometimes we joke about the car and the rock wall.
I have been in the same uncomfortable situation, although not stuck on a rock wall. I was still in elementary school and decided to be a big shot and back the car out of the garage for mom. I was going to do it as a favor to her and not tell her about it until the deed was done. Unfortunately I had no practice coordinating the steering wheel with the movement of the car. The old Chevvy somehow tracked a little too close to the frame of the garage door. Front bumper reached out and ripped a piece of wood off the door frame. I was petrified. My dad thought it was sort of funny that I tried to drive, by my mother gave me the worst lecture I ever had.
ReplyDeleteConcerning the boy that hung with college studs, it is mentioned that the author [and probably other guys] got to observe jerry in the showers. What is not said is that Jerry got to observe the big boys also. That might be the reason why he spent a lot of time at the dormitory.
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