Chapter 15: Freedom

The following Monday morning, the sun rose into a clear blue sky, to shine brightly on a thin new blanket of sparkling snow. Gerallt, Matt, and Tina smiled secretively to each other when the Hawthorne children joined the twins under the oak's bare branches. They didn't have to wait long for the school bus to pull up in front of their houses. Walking down the aisle, Matt and Gerallt surreptitiously glanced over to where Clayton was sitting, but the bigger boy showed no signs of having heard anything at all. After taking his seat, Matt looked back to where Sarah Duffy sat in the back of the bus. She smiled brightly at him, and he nodded back his thanks. Soon, the four conspirators walked into the school with high hopes for a great day.

It was only upon arriving at Hawthorne High that the change in people's attitudes became obvious. Several students stopped, stared, and snickered as Clayton passed by. It took a while for it to dawn on him that anyone might actually be laughing at him behind his back. When he finally demanded one of the offenders tell him what was so funny, the smaller boy promptly acted dumb. Clayton had no choice but to let him go when a nearby teacher took notice. Clayton was consequently in a foul mood when he arrived in the first-period history classroom.

Still having three more days of suspension to serve, Matt and Gerallt were sitting in the detention room and didn't get to see Clayton and his minions being sent to the principal's office. The two friends could only open their books and wish they could have secretly seen the three bullies' faces as they listened to the principal replaying Matt's CD. Principal Tanner promptly suspended them for a week and called their parents to come and take them home.

Some thirty minutes after school started, Principal Tanner entered the detention room and asked Matt and Gerallt to pick up their things and follow him. The two grinned at each other as he led them down the hall and back to his office.

"Well, gentlemen," the principal began after closing his door behind them. "I take it you've heard about what happened at the basketball game last Friday."

"Er... no sir," Gerallt lied, hoping that the principal wouldn't think that he and Matt had been talking with each other. "I couldn't be there because Mothah grounded me tah my room for a whole month because of what you told her."

"And my dad grounded me for a week," Matt added. "But my sister Tina went to the game, and once she got home, she told me someone played a recording over the loudspeakers of Colin, Clayton, and Dylan confessing."

"So, the two of you are telling me that you were both home and neither of you had anything to do with this?" he asked, looking closely at each of the boy's faces as he held up Matt's CD.

"Yes sir," both boys answered.

"And when I talk to your parents, they will each tell me you were at home during the game?"

"Yes, sir," they repeated.

"Okay," Principal Tanner conceded. "Then I believe I owe you two an apology. Gerallt, you are clearly innocent of extorting money from other students. And Matt, you were only defending yourself during the fight in the locker room. And finally, I see no reason to link you two to the unfortunate incident with the switched CD at the basketball game. Your in-school suspensions are hereby rescinded, and I think that the two of you have earned the right to hear this." He put the CD into the stereo on his bookshelf and played it for the boys, who tried their hardest to act as though they were hearing it for the first time.

"But what about our parents?" Matt asked, once the recording stopped. "They still believe what you said about us, and now they don't trust us anymore. We were both grounded, and Gerallt's mom really came down hard on him."

"Well, Mr. Mitchell, I'll call your father at work and let him know you are innocent and that Colin, Clayton, and Dylan set you up. Mr. Hawthorne, since your mother doesn't appear to have a phone, I'll write a letter explaining what actually happened that you can give to your mother." The principal paused, looking guiltily from one boy to the next. "I made a mistake, and I am very sorry for suspending you for something that you didn't do. I just hope you'll remember how strong the evidence was against you. Please believe me; I was only trying to do what I thought was right based on what I believed to be true."

Principal Tanner looked hopefully over at Gerallt and Matt, who accepted his apology with silent nods. However, neither boy was in the mood to say anything that might ease the principal's guilty conscience.

"Well, you two can head back to your regular classes," Principal Tanner continued after an uncomfortable pause. "I'll call your father now, Matt. And Gerallt, you can stop by after lunch and pick up the letter for your mother."

"What about Colin, Clayton, and Dylan?" Matt demanded. "They caused us both a lot of grief, and you let them get away with it."

"Well, they've each been suspended and sent home for a full week. I made it very clear to their parents exactly what they did to you. And the teachers and I will be watching them closely when they return. I also made it perfectly clear to them that they'll be expelled if they ever try anything like this again. Satisfied?"

Both boys let the principal twist in the wind for several seconds before looking at each other, nodding, and answering. "Satisfied," they chorused.

Principal Tanner gave Matt and Gerallt notes for their teachers to allow them back into class. They left the office and headed to their regular classes, happy and relieved that their plot hadn't been traced back to them.

"I really want tah thank you, Matt," Gerallt whispered as they walked down the hall. "I thought it was hopeless and that I'd be stuck in my room for the whole month. Your recording device was savage!"

"It was kinda awesome, wasn't it?" Matt said with a grin, giving his friend a playful pat on the back. "But you know what, Gerallt? It's like when you jumped over the fence to help me when Colin was going to beat me up. It's what friends do. Besides, it got me out of my room, too!"

The rest of the school day was perfect. Not only were Colin, Clayton, and Dylan gone, the three bullies were also the source of a lot of laughter and the butt of more than a few jokes. Best of all, several students even said 'Hi' to Gerallt as they walked by.

Matt's father and Gerallt's mother and great-aunt were waiting on the steps of the Hawthorne House when the school bus pulled up to the curb. They all rushed out to meet the boys on the sidewalk.

"I'm so sorry," Gwendolyn apologized, hugging her son and giving him a big kiss on his forehead as he stepped off the bus. "When Sam got the principal's call, he drove straight home from work and told me everythin'."

"Ah, Mothah, not in front of the kids on the bus," Gerallt complained, though he didn't pull back from her arms.

"And I'm also very sorry," Sam said, giving his son a quick but heartfelt hug. "I should never have doubted you."

"I told you that you couldn't trust the three juvenile delinquents who accused Gerallt and Matt," Vivianne Hawthorne told her niece as she smiled at both boys. "They're bullies and liars and will come tah a bad end one day."

Meanwhile, Tina and Gareth were all smiles seeing their brothers' vindication. Even Gwyneth looked guilty, gave Gerallt a hug, and whispered, "Sorry I was so rough on you."

"It's okay, Gwyneth. I understand," he said, imagining just how upset his sister must have been. The potential ramifications of the accusations could have been catastrophic.

"Well, kids, I believe Gwendolyn and I should definitely do something special to make it up to you for not believing you and punishing you when you were innocent," Sam said. "Now that you aren't grounded anymore, what would the two of you like to do?"

"I know," Matt said. "Gerallt and I are tired of being cooped up. Let's go out to eat and see a movie."

"Sounds good to me. What do you think, Gwendolyn?" Sam asked. "It'll be my treat."

Gwendolyn hesitated, unsure what to do or say. She glanced over at her aunt, who seemed equally at a loss. "But Sam, it's a school night," she finally said. "I'm sure the boys have lots of homework tah catch up for all the time they've missed."

"We're not behind, Mrs. Hawthorne," Matt argued. "We had plenty of time in the detention room to do our class work and almost all our homework."

"Well, then, it's not going to be a problem," Sam said, as he turned to Matt and Gerallt. "We can go out tonight. You boys promise to do the rest of your homework when we get back?"

"Of course, Dad" Matt answered.

"Absolutely, Mr. Mitchell," Gerallt agreed.

"See, Gwendolyn," Sam said, smiling at Gerallt's mother. "Come on, it will do you good to get out of the house and enjoy yourself."

"But Sam, Vivianne and I have been peelin' and cuttin' up vegetables all afternoon. We're starting a cauldron of stew this evening so that it can simmer all night and be ready for us tah start cannin' tomorrow mornin'."

"Well, it's only 3:15," Sam said, looking at his watch. "The kids can drop off their books, you can put away the vegetables, and we can leave in thirty minutes. We can have an early dinner and be done in time to catch a movie and still get home by seven. That should give you plenty of time to finish making the stew and for the kids to finish their homework."

Having run out of excuses, Gwendolyn turned to her aunt. "Vivianne, what do you think?"

"I don't know," she answered, her voice a mixture of uncertainty and fear. "It's been so long. I don't know if I can handle it. There will be so many, so very many..."

"Mr. Mitchell," Gerallt said softly to Matt's father, "Ahnt Vivianne hasn't been out of her house in years. As much as I would like tah see a movie at a real theater, I don't think she can stand bein' around so many people. Even eatin' out could be a problem if there are lots of people at the restaurant."

"Mrs. Hawthorne," Sam said, turning to Gwendolyn's aunt. "I'm sorry. I guess I got carried away. We can skip the movie tonight. But if we leave soon, we'll beat the dinner crowd, and the restaurants should be practically empty. It will just be us having a good time among friends and family."

"Mr. Mitchell," Vivianne said, steeling her courage. "Your son is a good boy. He has been a good worker for me and a good friend tah Gerallt. Both boys have suffered, and you are right. They deserve a celebration. I wouldn't feel right standin' in the way. Let's go, Gwendolyn, and we can finish up the stew when we return."

"Are you sure, Ahnt Vivianne?" Gwendolyn asked. "We can always stay home if you feel it will be too much."

"No, Gwendolyn. I think I can manage. Besides, when was the last time the Hawthorne family had a real reason to celebrate?"

"Uh, Dad..." Matt said, "I hate to be the one to point it out, but how are we going to get there? There are eight of us, and our minivan only seats seven."

"Oh no," Vivianne groaned. "I didn't think of that. You can't expect me tah ride in one of those infernal machines. Not with all the crazy people on the road. It isn't safe."

"Sam," Gwendolyn said. "When my ahnt was Gerallt's age, her parents were killed in a cah crash. She hasn't ridden in one since."

"Not a problem," Sam said, working hard to save the afternoon. "I know a nice little restaurant that's only four or five blocks away. Everyone meet back here in front of the house in thirty minutes." With that, Sam shooed Matt and Tina inside before anyone else could come up with another reason not to go.

Half an hour later, the Mitchell family was on the sidewalk at the gate in front of the Hawthorne House. The Hawthornes met them at the gate.

"Okay, Mr. Mitchell," Vivianne said. Somehow, she managed to seem both uncertain and determined at the same time. "Let's go befoah I change my mind."

With that, Matt's father turned right and led the group past his house and down Hawthorne Drive to Miguel's Cantina, a small family-run restaurant. The restaurant's sole waiter pushed three small tables together. Sam politely pulled the chair out at one end of the table for Gwendolyn to sit down. By the time she had, Vivianne and the children had already taken the three chairs along each side. Sam had no choice but to sit in the seat farthest from Gwendolyn at the opposite end of the table.

Being so early, the restaurant was empty, and they had the waiter entirely to themselves. After bringing in bowls of chips and salsa, the waiter took their drink orders and left to give them time to decide what to eat. Except for Gerallt, the Hawthornes had never had Mexican food before. They quietly looked at the chips and salsa with some trepidation while Gerallt and the Mitchells immediately dove in.

"Don't worry," Matt said, noticing that the Hawthorne's weren't eating. "It's just pico de gallo. It's not spicy."

Gareth took a chip, dipped it into the sauce, and took a bite. "Hey, this is wicked good," he said, smiling. The others picked up chips, and soon everyone was digging in with gusto.

"Matt and Gerallt," Sam said, "since this is really your celebration, how about the two of you deciding what we'll be eating tonight? You can order a table full of food, and then we can share, just like when we have Mexican at home."

"Great, Dad," Matt said. "Let's get plenty of tacos and burritos."

"And some refried beans tah go with the chips," Gerallt added, remembering how good they went together. "But, Matt, you'd bettah order the rest. Tacos, chips, and beans are all I've evah had."

"Okay, Gerallt. Dad and Tina, how about some guacamole for the chips and maybe some cheese enchiladas?"

"Sounds good to me," Matt's father agreed.

The waiter returned with their drinks, took their order, and left.

"Everyone," Gerallt began, speaking to the rest of the Hawthornes, "just wait 'til you taste the Mexican spices. Mothah, you'll have tah' find out what they ah so we can have them at home."

The waiter brought the food, and in minutes everybody was diving in as if they'd all skipped lunch. Soon, several lively conversations wove a colorful tapestry of topics from favorite classes at school to memories of living by the sea. Gareth told a joke he'd heard that day at middle school, and Vivianne laughed although everyone else mostly chuckled, having heard it many times before.

Matt happened to glance over at Tina and was shocked by what he saw. His sister was smiling, genuinely smiling, as she talked to Gwyneth about their classes at school. More importantly, her appetite had returned! Tina had loaded her plate with tacos and enchiladas, which she was actually eating. Something had changed. Hopefully, she would finally gain back the weight she'd lost in the months since their mother had died. Matt smiled, having one less concern to worry about.

Looking down the table, Sam watched Gwendolyn as she listened to Tina and Gwyneth comparing their classes and teachers. It dawned on him that this was the first time he'd ever seen her truly happy. He thought she was beautiful, now that a radiant smile had replaced her usual expressions of worry and sadness. She glanced down the table and noticed him gazing intently at her. For an instant, she smiled warmly back, and Sam experienced emotions he had not felt since before his wife had died. Realizing what he was doing, he quickly looked away, feeling a mixture of guilt, confusion, and happiness. Gwendolyn became intensely interested in Tina's description of the school dance the coming Friday night. While everyone else was eating and talking, Sam and Gwendolyn were strangely quiet and often stole brief glances at each other when they thought the other was not looking.

Eventually, the food disappeared from the table, and only a few broken tortilla chips remained untouched in their baskets. The conversation slowed when the waiter brought the bill and gave it to Sam. Then it died as a couple with two small rambunctious children arrived and were seated by the waiter. Their young boy turned around in his chair, pointed at the Hawthornes in their black clothes, and asked quite clearly, "Mommy, who are those people in the funny clothes?" Vivianne and Gwendolyn glanced nervously at each other.

"I think it is time to get back, don't you?" Sam asked, picking up the bill. To avoid waiting for the waiter to run his credit card, he placed sufficient bills on the table to cover dinner and the tip. He hurried to help Gwendolyn put on her coat while the others prepared to leave.

While they were in the restaurant, the temperature had dropped drastically. The cold north wind had begun to blow as they stepped out into the dusk, and the first tiny flakes of snow were falling. The dense, rapidly moving clouds softly glowed with the reflected light from the town below.

After talking so much over dinner, everyone seemed to have run out of words as they walked toward home. Matt and Gerallt were followed some distance behind by Tina and Gwyneth. Sam found himself walking with Gwendolyn just behind Gareth and Vivianne, where they could ensure that the older woman would not be left behind. "I didn't realize that it was supposed to snow this evening," Sam said several minutes later, trying to make conversation to fill the awkward silence.

"Me, neither," Gwendolyn said, her teeth beginning to chatter. "It's nippy now that it's breezed up. I wish I'd thought tah bring a stockin' cap and warmer coat."

Sam looked over. Her coat was short and thin, and she was blowing into her bare hands in a vain effort to keep them warm.

"Here, take my gloves. I don't really need them," Sam lied as he took his off and handed them to her.

"Thank you, Sam," Gwendolyn said, as they continued to walk. She smiled up at him as she gratefully slipped her small hands into his large leather gloves.

Then Sam noticed her cheeks and the tip of her nose and ears were turning red. "Here, you'd better put this on too." He stopped, pulled off his woolen scarf, and placed it around her neck and over her head so that it covered her ears. "There, that's better."

"But Sam, ah you sure you'll be warm enough?"

"I insist," he replied as they turned and started walking again. The others had continued on, leaving the pair some distance behind. Strolling side by side, their hands touched. Without a word, he took Gwendolyn's hand in his, and she didn't pull it back. The rest of the way back, Sam hardly noticed the cold at all.

Sam and Gwendolyn turned the corner onto Hawthorne Drive just in time to see their families entering the Hawthorne House front door. A few minutes later, Sam and Gwendolyn were stepping onto the porch that wrapped around the front and side of the old mansion. They dropped their hands and stepped inside. Everyone was waiting for them in the parlor, where the children were warming themselves in front of the fireplace.

Vivianne Hawthorne was in the octagonal turret that formed the corner of the parlor facing the street. Its tall narrow windows looked out on the gathering dusk. She glanced back and forth between her niece and Matt's father as they walked up to her. "Well, Sam, I'd like tah thank you foah taking us out tonight. That must be the first time I've left the house in ovah forty years. I'd forgotten everythin' pleasant outside my doah. More importantly, I'd forgotten that outsidahs need not be feared."

"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself," Sam said, not knowing exactly how to take her use of the word outsiders. "Hopefully, you won't wait so long before venturing out again. In fact, I would be happy to have you and your family over for dinner sometime soon." He turned to Gwendolyn, who smiled up at him. "And it's been especially nice to see you smile this evening."

"Ayuh, and you too. We've both been through a lot this last year, and this is the first time I've felt good since Medwyn died. It is nice tah know there are still reasons tah smile."

"You know, you're right," Sam agreed. "I've wasted far too much time buried in my work and not enjoying the simple pleasures of spending time with friends and family."

Soon, Matt and Gareth followed Gerallt upstairs to his room. After a few minutes, Tina headed home to start on her homework, and Gwyneth and Vivianne went back to the kitchen to continue working on the stew. Sam and Gwendolyn remained in the parlor, lost in conversation and didn't notice as the hours passed. Eventually, Vivianne came in bearing mugs of hot chocolate and freshly-baked brownies.

"I'd like to thank you again, Sam," Vivianne said. "Evah since the first day Matt came ovah lookin' foah a job, I've felt a change comin' ovah me. It's been as if I'm finally wakin' up from a deep dreamless sleep. I realize now that I'd let feah and distrust turn my beautiful old home intah a prison as I turned intah a miserable old recluse. When Gwendolyn and her wonderful children came, I started tah see I still had things to be thankful foah. And, now I get tah know you and your lovely daughtah, Tina. I guess I've been wishin' for a good reason tah get out of the house, and this was it. Why I feel twenty years youngah. Thank the Goddess, I woke up and realized that theah's moah to life than sittin' alone in my parlor, rockin' in front of the fireplace with my nose in a book."

"It's been my pleasure," Sam said. "Everyone seemed to have a great time." Sam noticed the grandfather clock ticking quietly in the corner. The hands pointed to 8:30. "Goodness. Is it that late? I'm going to have to get Matt home so that he can finish his homework. And what about your stew? I've kept Gwendolyn in here all this time."

"Don't worry about it, Sam. Gwyneth helped me finish it. Besides, it was more important that you've had some time tah talk, just the two of you. You've both been worryin' too much and haven't had enough time talkin' with anothah adult."

"Yes. It's nice not having the other programmers at work being the only adults in my life. Still, I'm afraid it's time to go. I'd better go up and get Matt; he'd stay the night if he could."

"That's okay, Sam," Gwendolyn said. "I'll get him. I was goin' up anyway."

A few minutes later, Gwendolyn and Matt came down the stairs. Matt left for home and his homework, while Gwendolyn walked Sam to the door.

"Thank you again for the gloves and scarf," she said, handing them back to him. "They were nice and warm."

"You're welcome," Sam said, as he put on his coat. He stood there self-consciously for a few seconds, looking around the foyer at the old paintings and not knowing quite what to say. The candles in their holders on the walls flickered, casting moving shadows down the hall. "Gwendolyn, I'm glad you decided to come tonight," Sam said, finally breaking their awkward silence.

"Me too, Sam. Me too."

They stood silently again, neither one making a move to open the door.

"I guess I'd better go then," he said.

"It is getting late," she agreed.

More silent seconds passed before he turned to the door, put a hand on the knob, turned quickly back, and kissed her lightly on the lips. A second later, he was out the door and marveling at what he had done.

Everyone was soon in their respective homes, their doors shut against the dark and snowy night. Vivianne and the children were sleeping in their warm beds, dreaming pleasant dreams as whirlwinds of snow whipped through the oak trees lining Hawthorne Drive. However, it was a long time before Sam and Gwendolyn fell asleep.