Last Chance

Chapter 13:

I drove Joel to one of his friends, Alice’s house Thursday morning and then drove back to our own house to work on the computers again. Jamie was at school again when the doorbell rang at 2:00 pm. I thought maybe Alice had brought Joel back because he started to feel unwell but it was a guy in his mid-forties. I hesitated to open the door, fearing it was Jamie’s father. I’d never met the guy and I didn’t know if he was as crazy as his wife or not.

“Who is it?” I ask.

“Rob, Jamie’s dad,” he explains quickly.

“What do you want? I gave Charlotte my lawyer’s card. You're supposed to contact him if you want to talk to us,” I reply through the door.

“Luka, listen. I would have been willing to let it go. I would have been fine with whoever Jamie loved. He was my only son. But Charlotte started going off about sin and how he was going to hell and all that. I want him to be happy, that’s all I want. If he’s happy here he should stay here. He can stay with Sam. I’ll try to keep Charlotte away but I can’t make any promises. She will go to the ends of the earth to attempt to save that kid even if he’s done nothing wrong,” he explains. “I’m sorry they’ve done this to you, Joel and now Jamie. I wish I could change them but I’m one person.”

I was surprised.

“Just tell him I miss him and to call me sometime, okay?” he continues.

“That’s all?” I ask suspiciously.

“God loves us, no matter what. I know that much. And he gave us free will. Jamie just used his free will to find somebody he loves and be happy. I have no right to take that away from him,” he replies.

“Okay, I will,” I reply.

“Thank you,” he replies before turning to walk back to his car.

I don’t know if he was going to listen to his wife and get his department after us considering the behaviour I just saw from him and considering he knows the law because as mentioned before he is an officer but I decided to keep an eye out regardless.

I worked on the computers that need repairing, wiping, resetting and all that until Joel texts me at 4:00 pm to come and get him from Alice’s. I get in our car and see Jamie as I drive down the road walking with Sam. I slow down.

“I’m going to get Joel from a friend’s. I’ll be back in thirty minutes. Your dad came by to apologize for your mother’s behaviour. He seemed nice but be careful and if he shows up again don’t let him in,” I inform him.

“Okay,” he responds seeming surprised by his father’s actions.

“Thanks for the movie tickets,” Sam mentions.

I smile at them, “You’re welcome, see you later.”

I drive off down the road towards Alice’s place which is about six or seven blocks away from where we live. The roads are covered in snow and a slippery layer of ice so I’m going the speed limit or slower for safety reasons. I arrive at Alice’s house without any issues. I go up to the door and knock on the door.

Alice appeared and smiled at me before letting me in. We go inside and I make small talk with Alice well Joel gathers his things and puts on his coat and boots. He hugs Alice goodbye and we go back to the car.

“I met Rob,” I start as we drive back towards our house.

“Oh, no. What did he do?” Joel questioned looking worried.

“He was quite nice actually. He apologized to Charlotte and wanted me to tell Jamie he missed him,” I explained not wanting to further stress him out.

He went silent as if he also found this odd like Jamie did but doesn’t say anything further.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I don’t want to say people don’t change, maybe it was Charlotte’s influence over him but he used to be worse than her,” he replies quietly.

“I told Jamie to keep an eye out just in case, don’t worry,” I continue.

“I just feel like there’s an impending doom coming or something,” he replies.

Joel had said he’d had the same feeling years ago when he moved out and cut contact with his family in the first place, and when he got sick he had headaches as well as this feeling. I’d learned to not take the feeling lightly.

“Sure, it’s not the drug trial or the fact that you’ve…got only a year otherwise?” I ask quietly.

“I don’t know, I’m not psychic,” he replies.

“I know, I just don’t want you to cause yourself any more unnecessary stress,” I answer.

“I know, I adore you for it,” he replies quietly embarrassed.

We arrive home, and Jamie and Sam are chatting in the kitchen drinking some cans of soda.

This was when another knock sounded at the door. Little did the four of us know this was the beginning of the nightmare that was this night.

I go to the door and look through the peephole and see Rob again.

I open the door cautiously keeping my weight on the back of it so I can slam it shut if need be.

“Hello, again, Rob,” I greet him.

He looks nervous, scared and embarrassed.

“I didn’t want to bother you again and I was hoping Charlotte would leave you all be but she said she wanted to see him after I bailed her out,” he explained glancing back at the car where Charlotte is leaning up against it.

“I can go ask but…” I trail off looking at Charlotte wearily.

“I know, but she won’t listen to me and I figure if she hears it from him, it might hit her harder,” he replies.

I go back inside, I don’t lock the door, I regret this.

I go back to the kitchen.

“Your mother’s here and she wants to talk to you,” I say quietly to Jamie.

“I don’t want to talk to her,” he replies.

“Okay,” I reply and go back to the front door.

“Sorry, he doesn’t want to,” I tell him quietly.

“I want to see my son,” Charlotte exclaims.

“He doesn’t want to see you,” I repeat louder and clearer.

“You’re probably just lying, where is Jamie?” she exclaims again.

Jamie comes to the door and I move out of the way so he can speak to her.

“Leave,” he states simply annoyed at this point.

“There’s my so—” she starts, an evil smile spreading across her face.

“I am not your son. I am not living under your roof. You are not supporting me, physically, mentally or emotionally. I have left your house and your life, and what I do is of no concern to you as I am of the age of majority and you have no power over my life or me anymore,” he exclaims.

I think the first sentence hurt her as it would any parent.

“See?” Rob starts.

“Jamie, get in the car!” Charlotte exclaims.

“No,” Jamie answers.

“Let’s just go,” Rob tries desperately.

Charlotte charges the front door, she hits it and ends up on the ground as I’m still leaning on the back of the door.

“How dare you,” she exclaims.

“He didn’t do anything. I was trying to be nice but if we don’t leave, they have every right to call the cops on us. We have no right to be here, we were supposed to talk to the lawyer,” Rob explains.

“He’s my son, he has to do what I say,” she continues.

Not our son, not what we say, my and I. This angered Rob further.

“You know, I was worried when he first came here but I asked around to see why you were so against him coming here and because I’d never met them. I thought maybe they were criminals or did drugs or something else but they’re just gay. After your and others' actions before and now, I understand why Jamie would want to move out and live with them. We are leaving. If you don’t get in the car and come home with me, I’ll stick you back in jail,” he exclaims. “Sorry, for everything.”

Rob takes her by the shoulders and guides her back to their car. I shut the door and watch Rob struggles and continue to argue with Charlotte. Surprisingly though after about ten minutes though they are gone.

I and Jamie go back and find Joel and Sam in the living room watching the whole thing from the window.

“Is everything okay?” Joel asks.

“They’re gone,” Jamie said shrugging.

Without saying much more Jamie and Sam go up to the guest bedroom.

“Was that it or is there something worse coming?” I ask Joel quietly.

“I hope that was it,” he replied quietly staring after Sam and Jamie.

“Okay, just rest,” I said quietly not wanting to stress him anymore.

He does having lost all interest in dinner.