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Jul. 31st, 2017 05:26 pmWhen Bonnie steps into her workshop at the end of the school day, she is somewhat surprised to find two figures standing by her desk. Gerry, looking very solumn, and his son Robert, looking somewhat contrite.
"Mrs Murdock." Gerry says.
"Mr Hart." Bonnie nods. She has an inkling what this is about.
"Go on, son." Gerry says, firmly.
"Ma'am, it was my friend and me."
"My friend and I." Gerry corrects.
"My friend and I who assaulted you." Robert says. "We didn't set out to harm you and the preacher, we just intended to scare you to sign the papers, but then you fought back so fierce ma'am, that it turned into a real fight. I'm really very sorry, ma'am. It was just me that did the hittin', my friend stopped."
Bonnie stares him in the eye.
"Well it was a good start that you confessed, Robert." she says. "Did yer father catch you?"
"He checked my sneakers, ma'am." Robert says. "When he got home. I was wearin' new ones so he didn't recognise them. He said you'd already agreed to sign the papers, all civilised like, and he was real angry."
"I didn't raise you to go beating on women and preachers." Gerry confirms. "I told him it's up to you what becomes of him and I will support whatever punishment you see fit."
Bonnie looks at the father and son. It's unusual, from those she's had fights with in the past, for anyone to be hauled up in front of her to apologise.
"Well, Robert." she says. "Unfortunately it's already a police matter because we made a police report, so we best go down to the station so that we can make a report."
"Will he still receive his diploma?" Gerry asks. "He graduates tomorrow."
Bonnie looks at the boy. She sees despair in his eyes. She remembers how he lost his mother at a young age, and has had to grow up with an alcoholic sister and all the trouble Turtle has brought their family. Also, she recalls, the Principal has told her that if she allows her private life to cause trouble at the school again, her job could be on the line, and now would be the ideal time to fire her with the whole summer to replace her.
"What do you plan to do with yer diploma?" she asks Robert.
"I want to be a firefighter, ma'am." Robert says.
"That's a worthy trade. And you probably need yer diploma fer that." Bonnie says. "You must be careful, Robert, not to do anythin' like this again."
"Oh I will, ma'am." Robert says.
"All right, we'll not go to the Principal, but you are banned from the end of term fair." Bonnie says. "And we'll go down to the cops now. You need to face up bravely to what you did, as you've done to me and Alvin."
Robert nods. It wasn't quite as bad as it could have been, and he recognises that. Bonnie gets her hat.
"I couldn't keep this from the cops even if I wanted to, you understand." she says. "And Turtle cain't keep it from them, or he'd lose his job. Hopefully the fire service will still take you."
They head to the station. Robert makes his confession, and Bonnie watches him with mixed feelings. At least Turtle is still in rehab.
"Thank you." she says to Gerry, outside, while Robert is being processed ready to be released. "It cain't be easy draggin' yer own son in front of the law."
"You would have done the same with any of your boys, right?" Gerry says.
"Damn straight." Bonnie says. "But my life has always been full of rough folks, gettin' into fights, and it's rare fer me to come out with any justice."
"You are a remarkable woman." Gerry says, and then blushes slightly.
Bonnie feels, to her annoyance, a hot flush coming on, making her own cheeks inconveniently pink.
"Yer a sweet man, Gerry." she says. "But I'm serious. I've spent my life around those that society has given up on, and I've got involved in all sorts of things I shouldn't, and there's a reason they say those things about me. I mean, they ain't true, but..."
"Mrs Murdock, when the dust has settled, would it be terribly inappropriate of me to ask you out to dinner by means of apology for my thoroughly inadequate parenting skills?" Gerry asks.
"Oh yes, very inappropriate." Bonnie says. "But don't let that stop you, it never stops me. So long as you understand that it cain't lead to nothin'."
"Oh, I understand." Gerry says. "I know it would be hard to trust another man after Wes. I just enjoy your company. It's lonely sometimes, being a widower."
Bonnie has to admit that this is something she can agree with.
"Mrs Murdock." Gerry says.
"Mr Hart." Bonnie nods. She has an inkling what this is about.
"Go on, son." Gerry says, firmly.
"Ma'am, it was my friend and me."
"My friend and I." Gerry corrects.
"My friend and I who assaulted you." Robert says. "We didn't set out to harm you and the preacher, we just intended to scare you to sign the papers, but then you fought back so fierce ma'am, that it turned into a real fight. I'm really very sorry, ma'am. It was just me that did the hittin', my friend stopped."
Bonnie stares him in the eye.
"Well it was a good start that you confessed, Robert." she says. "Did yer father catch you?"
"He checked my sneakers, ma'am." Robert says. "When he got home. I was wearin' new ones so he didn't recognise them. He said you'd already agreed to sign the papers, all civilised like, and he was real angry."
"I didn't raise you to go beating on women and preachers." Gerry confirms. "I told him it's up to you what becomes of him and I will support whatever punishment you see fit."
Bonnie looks at the father and son. It's unusual, from those she's had fights with in the past, for anyone to be hauled up in front of her to apologise.
"Well, Robert." she says. "Unfortunately it's already a police matter because we made a police report, so we best go down to the station so that we can make a report."
"Will he still receive his diploma?" Gerry asks. "He graduates tomorrow."
Bonnie looks at the boy. She sees despair in his eyes. She remembers how he lost his mother at a young age, and has had to grow up with an alcoholic sister and all the trouble Turtle has brought their family. Also, she recalls, the Principal has told her that if she allows her private life to cause trouble at the school again, her job could be on the line, and now would be the ideal time to fire her with the whole summer to replace her.
"What do you plan to do with yer diploma?" she asks Robert.
"I want to be a firefighter, ma'am." Robert says.
"That's a worthy trade. And you probably need yer diploma fer that." Bonnie says. "You must be careful, Robert, not to do anythin' like this again."
"Oh I will, ma'am." Robert says.
"All right, we'll not go to the Principal, but you are banned from the end of term fair." Bonnie says. "And we'll go down to the cops now. You need to face up bravely to what you did, as you've done to me and Alvin."
Robert nods. It wasn't quite as bad as it could have been, and he recognises that. Bonnie gets her hat.
"I couldn't keep this from the cops even if I wanted to, you understand." she says. "And Turtle cain't keep it from them, or he'd lose his job. Hopefully the fire service will still take you."
They head to the station. Robert makes his confession, and Bonnie watches him with mixed feelings. At least Turtle is still in rehab.
"Thank you." she says to Gerry, outside, while Robert is being processed ready to be released. "It cain't be easy draggin' yer own son in front of the law."
"You would have done the same with any of your boys, right?" Gerry says.
"Damn straight." Bonnie says. "But my life has always been full of rough folks, gettin' into fights, and it's rare fer me to come out with any justice."
"You are a remarkable woman." Gerry says, and then blushes slightly.
Bonnie feels, to her annoyance, a hot flush coming on, making her own cheeks inconveniently pink.
"Yer a sweet man, Gerry." she says. "But I'm serious. I've spent my life around those that society has given up on, and I've got involved in all sorts of things I shouldn't, and there's a reason they say those things about me. I mean, they ain't true, but..."
"Mrs Murdock, when the dust has settled, would it be terribly inappropriate of me to ask you out to dinner by means of apology for my thoroughly inadequate parenting skills?" Gerry asks.
"Oh yes, very inappropriate." Bonnie says. "But don't let that stop you, it never stops me. So long as you understand that it cain't lead to nothin'."
"Oh, I understand." Gerry says. "I know it would be hard to trust another man after Wes. I just enjoy your company. It's lonely sometimes, being a widower."
Bonnie has to admit that this is something she can agree with.
