A Hoosier* Innocence
By Indiana Jon© 2009
This is a fictional work. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or dialog is strictly coincidental.
*A Hoosier is a resident of Indiana
Chapter Ten – Turning of the SeasonsTo everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven
time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep
--the Byrds
Gavin rambled downstairs for breakfast. The events of last night were still playing out in his mind as he took a seat at the breakfast table. “Hi, Dad,” he said, smiling from surprise. “Why are you home on a Saturday,” he asked, doing a quick mental check to make sure he wasn’t messed up on his days. His mother placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of him, as he waited for an answer.
“I took the day off so I could spend it with you guys,” he replied, while pouring more coffee. “Did you boys have a good time last night?” he asked.
Gavin looked at Conner, who in turn shrugged his shoulders back at his brother, as if to say, ‘I didn’t tell him anything!’
“Yeah, it was fantastic,” the older brother answered, trying to sound commonplace. “It was so kewl to have Trevor visit after being gone so long. I really missed him.”
“Yeah, and I got to know him better, too,” Conner added, grinning brazenly at Gavin. This comment earned the eight-year-old a ruthless frown from the older boy.
“I’m glad you boys had such a good time, and that you were able to quickly catch up on old times with Trevor,” Mr. Parks said, as Mrs. Parks took a seat at the opposite end of the table. They were secretly having their own silent ‘eye conversation’. “We had a great time talking with Trevor’s parents last night, too. Trevor’s Dad really likes his job in Virginia, and they said that Trevor is doing fantastic in school. They also miss having us as neighbors.”
Mr. Parks paused briefly to observe the boys’ expressions, but realized that his subtle conversation was too cryptic for their young minds, as they continued to shovel in the oatmeal by the spoonful. He swallowed hard, feeling his heart ‘in his throat’, knowing that he had to tell his sons about the difficult decision that he and the boy’s mom had to make over the last few weeks. Drawing a deep breath, and glancing at his wife once more for strength, he proceeded on.
“Boys, Trevor’s family is here for more than just a friendly visit with their relatives and friends.” Gavin and Conner simultaneously stopped eating and silently turned their undivided attention to their Dad. Gavin felt himself getting nauseous, sensing something huge in this family was about to ‘explode’. Mr. Parks nervously continued. “We haven’t shared this with you boys yet, but I was informed four weeks ago that I would be laid off at the end of October, and would need to find other work.” Conner sat perfectly still, stunned by what his Dad was saying. Gavin could no longer see clearly, as his eyes welled up with tears. He wanted to run to the bathroom and throw up, but he sat frozen in his chair, unable to move, forced to endure listening to the remainder of this God-awful news. He numbly stared at his bowl of oatmeal, feeling that his world, as he knew it, had just came crashing down all around him. Tears now flowed without restraint. Subconsciously he could hear his Dad continuing from afar.
“I contacted everyone I know, and a few weeks ago, Trevor’s father called me back and told me of several job opportunities available with the company that he works for,” their dad explained. “I applied for a position, and just last week, I was accepted. They want me to start work on Monday in Virginia.” There was a long, deathly silence.
“Does that mean we’re moving to where Trevor lives?” Conner finally asked excitedly, dealing with the news completely opposite as that of his brother.
“Very soon, yes,” Mrs. Parks softly answered Conner, while experiencing deep concern for her oldest.
“When do we have to leave?” Gavin asked, in a broken, monotone voice, while never lifting his tear-streaked face up. He sat trance-like with glazed, watery eyes, staring at his oatmeal.
Mr. Parks cleared his throat. His oldest son’s pain was choking him up. “Gavin, we would like to be moved, ready for you boys to start school by the first week in November. I know this is extremely sudden and so unfair, but I’m counting heavily on your help to accomplish this.” He paused, and then lovingly asked, “Can I depend on you, son?”
Those six words jolted the dejected boy from his trance. He slowly looked up at his father’s face. Only then did Gavin notice big tears coming from his Dad’s eyes. He pushed back from the table and ran to his Dad, crawling up into his lap and finding security in his loving arms. “Daddy, it hurts so bad again,” he sobbed, burying his face in the anguished man’s shoulder.
“I know it does, Son,” he comforted, soothingly rubbing Gavin’s back. “I was hoping for you boys’ sake that there would be another solution, but nothing around here has turned up. Your Mom and I promise you, though, that we will move as close to Trevor as we can get. He is the only reason that we even considered moving away to find work. Trevor’s parents are telling him the news this morning.”
A soft knock on the kitchen door interrupted the somber discussion. Gavin slowly climbed off his Father’s lap and wiped his eyes before going to the door. Glancing through the glass, he saw Shay, who had obviously been crying. The older boy feigned a weak smile as Gavin opened the door for him. In a funeral-like procession, Shay followed Gavin upstairs and into his room, taking a seat on the bed next to his best friend, as they both stared at the floor. In a heavy stillness, they mourned their short time remaining together. Finally, Gavin broke the silence.
“You knew,” he whispered, still staring at his floor. “You knew last night, didn’t you,” he stated, rather than asked.
Without looking up, Shay sadly nodded his head ‘yes’, while wiping away new tears.
Gavin started sorting through the previous night’s events and conversation. “THAT’S why you dared me that dare with Trevor, isn’t it?” he asked, rhetorically, quickly putting the pieces of the puzzle together in his head. “You were trying to get us both ready for today.” His fevered brain continued processing. Then when the final missing piece fell into place, it hit Gavin with the intensity of a knockout punch. “That’s also why you said what you said last night about *never forgetting me*,” he exclaimed, looking over at his best friend. This new realization was too much for Gavin to handle, and he started quietly sobbing.
The older boy took a long moment to compose himself before speaking. “My parents told me after school Friday, before Trey arrived. Since it would have ruined our reunion last night, I couldn’t tell either of you. When we first became friends, you had told me how hurt and lonely you were when he moved away, so I decided to not let that happen between us. Gav, you have to think of him as your best friend now, and that way, when you move, you’ll be going back to what you had before. Trey’s Mom and Dad are telling him now, that’s why I came down here. What’s so ironic, though, is that this will be wonderful news for him…”
“Shay, you know I like Trevor. We were best friends, and I’ve missed him so much. But, you have made me feel things I’ve never felt with him before. He will continue to be my friend, but I know he can never take your place.”
“That’s what you said about your friendship with Trey when he moved, Gav. I know, because your Mom told me the day you fell and hit your head. It’s gonna take time, but I know that you two will become best friends again.”
“And what about you? This whole thing is so unfair to you. Trevor gets me back, I have to move away, but it turns out I’m going to be back with Trevor, while you get stuck here with no one!”
“Don’t worry about me, Gav. I will miss you when you move, because you are my best friend. But we aren’t alike. I’m older, but I also have a lot of friends at school who will be there for me. Who knows, maybe Mark and I will eventually become best buds,” he said with a smile.
Gavin forced a slight grin for his friend. “Shay, will you spend the night with me tonight?” he softly asked.
Looking back into Gavin’s pleading brown eyes, Shay heartbreakingly shook his head ‘no’. “Gavin, you know it’s killing me to turn you down, but that question is rightfully for Trevor, and not me. You need to build your friendship with him now. Our time alone last night in your room was my good-bye gift to you.”
“But how could that count? I didn’t know then that I was leaving my best friend!” he argued, feeling abandoned.
“And if you had, we wouldn’t have experienced the magic that we did. We would have BOTH been crying!”
“So, you WERE crying last night. I thought so, but it just now makes sense.”
“Of course I was crying! I was feeling just like you feel right now, but if I hadn’t hid it, I’d ruined everybody’s evening. Instead, you helped me through it and you didn’t even realize it. It made me happy to see you and Trevor together, but at the same time, it was killing me. Then when we were alone, you gave me the best good-bye gift ever. THAT’S what I want to remember you by, Gav, not tears and hurt. I’ll have time for those after you leave.” There was a long moment of contemplation.
“Then last night was our last time?” Gavin asked, with tears running down his cheeks.
Shay silently and sorrowfully shook his head ‘yes’.
The school bus stopped even with Shay’s driveway. Carefully negotiating the first light snow in late November, he exited and made his customary detour to the mailbox. Pulling out several envelopes, he noticed a few obvious birthday cards to himself. Quickly scanning the return addresses, his face began to glow as he located one from Virginia. Stuffing the other mail back into the mailbox, he hurriedly removed his gloves and opened the envelope. ‘Happy 13th Birthday’ the front of the card read. Inside was a handwritten note.Dear Shay,
I can’t believe it’s been nearly four weeks since we have moved. I just wanted to tell you Happy Birthday, and that I really miss you, but Trevor is really helping me. You were right, as always. I hope that you have found someone as a new best friend. Thanks for making my life so much better. I LOVE YOU ALWAYS
Gavin
Turning it over, he noticed more writing, but in a different style.
Hi Shay, it’s Conner. Gavin gave me permission to add my note too. Happy 13th Birthday. Thanks for being my second big brother. And thanks for always listening to me. I miss you and I hope you will be able to visit sometime. If you do, we’ll have to play that one game again. I love you too, Shay.
Conner
Wiping the cold tears from his wind burnt cheeks, he glanced down at the vacant two-story farm house just down the road. “I love you too, guys… with all my heart.”
Epilogue“When will they get here?” Gavin impatiently asked Trevor, after turning back around from studying the early May flowers growing just outside the patio doors. His best friend had just hung up the phone after talking to his mother.
“They are leaving the airport, and should be here in about twenty minutes. When is Conner getting here?” Trevor questioned.
“He’s at home waiting or his friend Ryan, then they’re riding their bikes over, and Mom and Dad are driving.”
“Shay’s not gonna believe you pierced your ear, Gav. I still can’t believe your Dad let you do it!” Trevor exclaimed, while looking once again at the small diamond stud in Gavin’s left earlobe.
“Well, he was going to make me wait until my thirteenth birthday, but when I turned twelve in February, I just kept beggin’ him until he finally gave in last week,” he said, grinning victoriously. “I thought you were gonna make your Dad give in too. What happened?”
“He hasn’t said yes yet, but at least he hasn’t told me flat out ‘no’, so that’s something. I want one just like yours,” he declared, admiring the stone.
“Did your mom say if Shay brought anyone with him?” Gavin asked curiously.
“All I know is that he and his parents got to the airport on time. She didn’t say. Should I have asked her what color underwear he was wearing too?” Trevor teased.
Gavin body-tackled the other twelve-year-old onto the living room sofa and began tickling him mercilessly.
“Quit, Gav, before I pee all over you!” Trevor begged, while giggling.
There was a quick knock on the front door, and instantly Conner and his friend Ryan let themselves in.
“Kewl, a wrestling match,” Conner observed. “You take my brother, and I’ll take Trevor,” he shouted as they kicked off their shoes by the door. Within seconds, the two ten-year-olds were each wrapped around an older boy in this all-out ‘rumble’.
“Time-out, guys,” Trevor called, trying to peel Conner off his body. “We need to take this downstairs before we break something, and my parents turn us all into slaves for the rest of our lives.”
As they were heading to the basement stairs, Gavin called out, “I heard a car door!” He instantly did an about face and sped through the living room and out the front door, followed closely by the others. Recognizing Shay crawling out of the van’s rear door, Gavin ran sock-footed over to his friend and grabbed him in a bear hug. “God, I’ve missed you Shay!” he said, squeezing him tightly.
“I’ve missed you more, Dude,” Shay replied, greeting him with a kiss on the forehead.
As Trevor and Conner were joining Gavin, another boy crawled out of the van and stood next to Shay.
“Guys, this is my best friend Jon,” Shay beamed, introducing the dark-complected boy with medium-long black hair. “He’s thirteen, and his parents bought your old house. They moved to Indiana from Mexico.”
In short time, Ryan and Jon had learned everyone’s name. Trevor led the ‘six-pack’ downstairs, so that the parents could peacefully visit.
“So is this where we’re sleeping tonight?” Ryan asked, noticing several rolled-up sleeping bags against the wall under the flat-screen TV.
“Yup, and since it’s my house, Gavin and I get first choice of everything!” Trevor exclaimed, high-fiving his friend.
“No fair!” complained Conner. “But I’ll stop complaining as long as I get to do one thing,” he said, trying to open up the bargaining.
“And what would that be?” Gavin questioned, scrutinizing his brother.
Conner flashed a devilish smile, and then replied, “We play Truth or Dare!”
The End
(Don't miss Window to the World, a new story by Indiana Jon coming next month.