Chapter 13
After Frank had left the hospital, he decided to go have a little talk with the manager of the grocery store about what he may have seen when Silas was attacked.
All eyes turned to watch the tall, dark-haired stranger wearing the uniform shirt with a Department of Homeland Security emblem on the pocket walk into the store. Frank glanced around, hoping to see the manager.
“Good afternoon, how may I help you?” A nervous voiced asked from behind Frank.
Frank turned to face the man and noticed the nametag on his shirt: Paul Jackson, Store Manager.
“You are just the man I came to see,” Frank smiled while offering his hand.
Paul took the offered hand, and they exchanged a firm handshake. “Okay, what can I help you with today?”
“I’d like to speak to you about what happened here last night. I’m the officer in charge out at the mill, and I learned some rather distressing news. May we speak in private?”
“Certainly, why don’t we go to my office?” Paul motioned, letting Frank know to follow him to the back of the store to his office. Neither man spoke as they walked through the store as the customers watched them intently, wondering what was going on between them.
Once inside his office and the door closed securely behind them; Paul pointed to the chair next to his desk, “Please, take a seat.”
Frank smiled then sat in the offered chair.
“So, what may I help you with today, Officer?” Paul asked as he sat in his chair and shoved a stack of papers out of his way, so he could rest his hands on the desk.
Frank looked around the small office and found himself amused at the organized chaos. Invoices covered the desk, as well as sales clippings from the newspaper. There were also several empty soda cans scattered about. On the wall behind the desk was a chart with employee schedules for the week and a calendar with red marks and writing all over it.
Realizing that Frank was distracted, Paul cleared his throat and waited.
“Oh, I’m sorry, I was just looking at your scheduling board,” Frank grinned.
Paul turned and looked at the board then he looked back to Frank, snickering. “Yeah, I need to keep a close eye on the schedules, or I end up short handed, Officer Morrison.”
“I can respect that, but why don’t you just call me Frank.”
Paul could see the hesitation in Frank’s eyes, and, to be honest, he had been dreading this conversation ever since the attack on Silas. “That’s fair enough, but only if you call me Paul.”
Frank nodded his agreement.
“I know why you’re here. You want to know if the men who attacked Silas came from the group out at the mill. Am I correct?”
“Yes, but I’m afraid that I already know the answer,” Frank said nervously.
“I never did get a good look at them, but they spoke in Spanish. While we have a few Mexican people living in the area, we’ve never had any problems with them in the past. I’m sorry, but I think that you have some bad people in that group of yours.” Paul held Frank’s gaze, never once blinking.
Frank shook his head, sickened by the thought that he had brought this sort of trouble to this peaceful, little town. “I’m pretty sure I know who they are. The only problem is proving it. I’m sure they’ve hidden anything they took far away from the mill, so the chance of linking them to the attempted break-in is slim unless the Sherriff’s department was able to pull some prints.”
“I’m sorry that I’m not more help. Silas told me to stay inside, so I wasn’t able to see anything until I went outside and found him unconscious on the ground. I can’t begin to tell you how scared I was that they had…” his voice trailed off.
Frank nodded in agreement, “Yes, he was lucky. Things could have ended much worse than a couple of cracked ribs and a blow to the head.”
Paul exhaled, as he looked at Frank, trying to decide how to ask the question that was on everyone’s mind in town. “May I ask you a question?”
“Sure, what do you want to know?” Frank was sure he already knew the question, so he steadied himself.
“Why did they choose Sandley? Why did they deceive us in such a cruel way?”
Frank searched his mind for the answer he had wanted to know himself. After a few tense moments, he looked at Paul and merely shrugged his shoulders.
Not surprised by the response, Paul merely smiled. “I guess it’s not meant for people like you or me to understand. You know something, though. I used to believe those in the government worked for us, but now I see those same people in government seem to think that we serve them. What happened? When did it all change?”
Frank wished that he had an answer, but, to be honest; he had often wondered the same thing. When he joined law enforcement years ago, he had such high ideals for the level of professionalism expected of him. However, over the last few years, it had all changed. With the way things were going, he felt more like a prison guard, than a public servant. He used to put on his badge every day with a sense of pride, but now it brought him nothing but a deep sense of shame.
“I often wonder that myself, Paul. I’m sorry about what’s happening in your town, and I don’t blame you for being upset. I used to stop people from coming across our border, but no longer. Now, it seems that we just gather them up and bring them to the facilities, only to have them put on buses or airplanes and sent around the country. None of it makes any sense to me. It’s as though our laws mean nothing anymore.”
Paul could see the sadness and disappointment in Frank’s eyes, and he wondered what it would be like to follow orders that are against everything you once believed. “I can’t say this makes me feel any better. May I ask if you have a family of your own?”
Frank closed his eyes with the image of his family flowing into his mind. “Yes, and I worry every day what type of country we’re creating for them. I guess I have everything I came for today. I’d like to thank you for your time, Paul.” Frank stood and held out his hand to Paul.
“It was my pleasure, Frank,” Paul took the offered hand and shook it firmly.
Frank turned and walked toward the door with Paul following behind him. “Thank you again for your time, Paul.”
“You’re welcome, Frank. I hope you find out who attacked Silas.”
“I do too, goodbye,” Frank said as he left the office.
“Goodbye,” Paul said, and then he closed the door and sat at his desk to work on some invoices.
Jen arrived at the hospital a little before dinner, and Silas was resting when she walked over to the chair sitting beside the bed. She had been there about ten minutes when the woman delivering his dinner came through the door. “Dinner time, I bet you’re ready for a good meal.”
Silas slowly opened his eyes, as she placed the tray on the bedside table.
“It smells good,” he grinned, as he reached for the bed remote.
“I’ll help him with that,” Jen said while she reached for the cover over the plate.
Silas was surprised to see Jen. “When did you get back?”
“A few minutes ago; you were resting so I didn’t want to disturb you.” She lifted the cover off his plate.
“Oh, that looks delicious,” Jen teased.
“It sure does. Hand me that fork,” Silas licked his lips.
Jen was glad to see him alert and with an appetite. “Slow down, you don’t want a tummy ache from eating too fast.”
Silas glanced up at her and winked then he shoved another bite of the Salisbury steak in his mouth.
At seeing the look of sheer joy on his face, Jen could not help but laugh. “Maybe I should get their recipe?”
Silas nodded his head but did not say a word as he scooped up some mashed potatoes and gravy.
Realizing that he did not need any help, Jen sat back in the chair and watched him enjoy his feast.
Once he had finished his meal, Silas pushed the table away and leaned back o
n the bed.
“That was good. I didn’t realize how hungry I was.”
Jen picked up the tray and carried it over to the counter by the sink. “You did seem to devour it like a starved animal. Are you feeling better now?”
Silas laid his head back on the pillow and then rubbed his stomach. “Yeah, I do. I just wish my ribs weren’t so damn sore. I have to remember not to take any deep breaths.”
Jen knew that he must be sore, but she was thankful that his injuries were not any worse. Just the thought of what could have happened to him made her nauseous.
“I know, babe, but we both know that it could have been much worse.” Jen could see the concern flash across his face as he realized just how correct she was.
Not wanting to dwell on what could have been, Silas decided to change the subject.
“So, what have you been up to this afternoon? You haven’t been stirring up things again, have you?” he asked playfully.
“Now why would you ask such a thing?” Jen teased.
Silas loved the defiant look on her face, but he also knew that she had no fear when she felt things needed fixing. “Well…”
Jen leaned back in the chair and looked up at Silas. She did not want to upset him, but she did not wish to lie to him either.
She took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. “I decided to go to the school and see what’s going on with the new students. I ended up talking with Sarah when I got there, and she’s fit-to-be-tied.”
Silas was not sure if he wanted to know what had Sarah all worked up, but he knew Jen would explain anyway.
“Silas, it’s crazy. They told her that all of the teachers have to learn Spanish or they can lose their jobs. Can you believe that shit?” Jen’s face suddenly took on a vibrant shade of red as anger swirled up from deep inside of her.
Silas was shocked at this development. “How is that even possible?”
“I don’t know, but Sarah said that she’s attending a meeting with the Governor, along with other educators who are facing the same thing. I don’t know what we are going to do. How can we teach children who don’t speak English, and what is going to happen to the other students? It’s wrong, just wrong!” Jen covered her eyes, fighting back the tears now streaming down her cheeks.
“What are the other teachers saying about this?” Silas knew there was no way all of the teachers could learn to speak Spanish before the school year began in a few weeks.
“They’re just as upset as I am. We aren’t set up for something like this. We are a small school district, with limited funds, so how are we supposed to provide a quality education to all of our students if we have to teach in two languages?”
Silas did not know what to say. He thought back to the news reports of schools trying to prepare themselves for all of the children that came across the border. They were even shocked at reports of adults posing as children to get a free education. Silas knew this was not going to end well for the people of Sandley and their children.
Jen looked up at Silas with tears in her eyes. “I’m scared. For the first time in my life, I feel as though I’m a second-class citizen in my own country. I never thought my government would force me to do something that was not in the best interest of my community, but it has. It’s as though honest, law-abiding citizens must surrender their rights to people who are here illegally. How is that even possible? It’s like a slap in the face for doing the right thing for your entire life.”
Silas looked at Jen and shook his head. “I wish I understood it myself. I guess those in charge don’t worry about the consequences because they don’t have to face it every day. They make their backdoor deals for money and power and to hell with the average American citizen.”
Silas felt helpless for the first time in his life, and he did not enjoy that feeling one bit. He had never understood why all the cries of racism just for pointing out a person was here illegally. It did not make any sense to him. His grandfather and father had both taught him that a man must earn respect through his actions. His father taught him that a man must step up and take responsibility for his family and community.
Silas thought back to how his father would say, “Son, the color of our skin does not make us weak. Hold your head up as a proud black man. Treat others with respect and give them a reason to treat you the same.”
Silas never understood why so many in the black community cried racism, yet used it as a weapon themselves. Growing up a black man in the small town of Sandley had its ups and downs, but through perseverance and respect for oneself, he became a valued and respected citizen of the community.
Jen knew he was right, and she wondered how the town would survive. She was about to speak again when the door opened and in walked the doctor.
“Good evening, Chief Greer, how are you feeling?”
“Much better now that I’ve had some real food,” Silas grinned.
“I must admit it did smell good out in the hall while I was making my rounds.”
The doctor walked up to the bed and looked at Silas’ head bandage. “Well, I was going over your chart, and it appears that you’ll be able to go home tomorrow. How does that sound, Mrs. Greer? Are you ready to take him home?”
“Oh yes, I’m more than ready,” Jen said enthusiastically.
“Good. I’ll get the paperwork ready for what I need you to do. I don’t see any reason he can’t be home by noon.” The doctor reached out and rested his hand on Silas’ shoulder. “Mr. Greer, you are a very lucky man to have such a lovely wife to care for you,” the doctor grinned.
“Thank you, doctor. Nothing against the hospitality here, but I’m ready to go home,” Silas winked playfully.
“I’m sure you are. Well, I have some more patients to see. Get some rest, and I’ll drop by in the morning before you leave.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Jen said as he walked toward the door.
“You’re welcome. I’ll see you both in the morning.” He walked out of the door then closed it behind him.
Jen looked at Silas with a big grin on her face. “Now that’s some good news.”
“Yes, it is. I wonder how soon I’ll be able to return to work?”
“Oh, no, you don’t. He didn’t say anything about returning to work just yet,” Jen scolded.
“I know, but…”
“But nothing, Doug will be back this evening, so he can handle anything that comes up until you’re able to return to work. You took a nasty blow to the head and cracked a couple of ribs. The last thing you need to think about now is work.” Jen leaned down and kissed Silas on the forehead then rested her fingertip on his lips when he began to protest.
“No protests allowed, doctor’s orders,” Jen smiled.
Silas knew there was no use in arguing with her. She would make sure that he rested, and leave any problems for Doug to solve. “Yes, dear; I promise to be good for now.”